Generation Ork - Rehabilitation Earth
by AliceWhite473
Summary: A 2nd installment featuring the children of Mork and Mindy McConnell. This fanfic spinoff focuses on Miranda's return to Earth a world she never grew up on even though she's half earthling. She like her father before her will learn the ways of the world even though it's quite confusing. REVIEWS REQUESTED PLEASE.
1. First World Problems

**Chapter 1 - First world problems  
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Miranda relaxed next to Chris as he played an Earth based electronic game he called a playstation, something Jeanie had in her home. She said it was used to "kill time"; a notion Miranda found quite disturbing, even for an earthling; things were still so very new to her here. She peeked over and watched him. He was thoroughly engrossed with the game he called GTA and chuckled to himself from time to time when he heard the character swear. She was writing down things in her journal that she was learning about but kept peeking up over her tablet that she was writing on. She screwed up her eyebrows as she watched him move his character around on the screen kicking and hitting his way through the city. She wasn't too thrilled to see this kind of violence but Chris assured her it wasn't real. Apparently he found it entertaining. She had learned how to use the machine a few weeks ago when they had returned from Ork via a line jumped I-28 beam, the new system that Orwell had installed made trips back and forth to Ork much quicker than pod or ship travel. There had been a similar set up about thirty years ago but it had been dismantled when her dad and mother returned to Ork. She looked back down and continued to touch the glass screen lettered icons and update her records for Ork about Earth and what she had learned in the few months she had been here; the games audio playing was a bit distracting. She was pleased with her progress since their return from Orwell's and Naruu's wedding and in the process, Chris had his Orkian part of him charged to super full with her help and he was exceptionally strong now and Miranda was humming constantly in his presents. She smirked as she remembered their lake encounter and she stopped typing. Chris noticed her smiling and her "glow" getting extremely bright as she paused in mid thought and he had a notion what it was all about. He could feel her humming like a high tension wire all day.

"Isba?" He asked in Orkian, he found the language interesting and was learning very quickly how to speak it. Miranda found it to be quite a turn on. She blushed but responded.

"Necce." She said dragging out her response slowly with a bit of a devious smile. She knew he could read her thoughts. He'd been learning the same abilities that she had, so she was aware he knew what had tangled her thoughts into a wonderful mess. He paused his game.  
"Rursho?" He asked with a smirk as he held the paddle in the air. He flitted with the images of the lake before him that wandered in her mind and he rather enjoyed that she was thinking of him.

She blushed uncontrollably and bit her bottom lip as she let her tablet slid to her lap. "Neph." She responded as she leaned towards him with a half cocked smile.

He straightened up with her response and his eyes got wide in mocked shock. "Goodness me... NO?!"  
He placed his hand on her forehead and shut his eyes. She giggled as she moved the tablet to the flat arm of the sofa and pounced on him, his controller dropped to the floor as he wrapped his arms around her as she attacked him with a mind bending kiss. He loved these kind of assaults. She kissed him and sighed.

"Tisba." She responded. He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her and let her snuggle against his chest.

"Are you now?" He swore to goodness she purred as she nodded her head in agreement against his chest, his shirt shifting with each movement of her head. He smirked above her and instinctively tucked her dark hair behind her ear. All he had to do was hold her and she seemed to be content. He turned when he heard the click of the lock from the front door, Miranda's head followed suit but she relaxed on his chest knowing who it was before they even entered.

Jeanie walked through the front door and dropped her keys into the darkly swirled wooden dish she had sitting on a small side table at her front door and turned around to see the adorable site of Chris and Miranda curled up together. Too bad she was going to have to break it up since she had info she was most certain Miranda would love to get.

"Evening." Miranda said to Jeanie as she walked into the living room. "How was work?" Jeanie was waiting for that same question; one she'd gotten every night since they all returned from Ork. She sighed and that alone made both Chris and Miranda untangle from each other's arms and sit up and ask what was wrong.

"Is everything OK?" Miranda watched as Jeanie ran her hand through her now lengthened dark hair.  
Jeanie now wished Reach wasn't on mission currently as she'd get him to double check her findings before telling Miranda but since he's away and she didn't have any other direct contact with Ork other than through Miranda and Mearth she might as well fill her in on details since Mearth was in Washington with Holly working.

"I'm not too sure yet Miranda." She paused looked around and decided to sit in the recliner off to the left of her TV. She leaned forward and looked at both the two most amazing creatures she'd ever been blessed to meet. She still to this very day thanked Mork for being in her life, without knowing him she was sure her life would be so very different. Jeanie had forgotten that Miranda and Chris both were able to read minds so was a bit taken aback when they both looked at each other with a confused look.

"Uhh, what does dad have to do with whatever is going on?" Miranda said. Her confusion evident on her face as it was on Chris's.

"Well if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have the medical info I have now on your newly dubbed species you call Earkins." She said as she looked at her hands twining her fingers into each other. "It's because of that info that makes me think I have an Earkin at my hospital." She looked up at Miranda and Chris and sighed as she watched the shock and bewilderment register on their faces.  
"WHAT?!" Miranda said. Her eyes were huge, she reached over and grabbed Chris's hand.

"Are you sure?" Chris asked, still confused on how on Earth Jeanie found an Earkin before they did, since it was after all an ability both he and Miranda had. He held onto Miranda's hand about as tight as she was his. The tension was in both of them and he was sure she could feel his too.

"DNA analysis confirmed it to my own records. I only bothered to check because she was showing the same protein strain in her blood work as you guys do. I never in my life thought I'd find one of your own ON my own." Jeanie did look bewildered, but she looked very concerned as well.  
"How did she end up at the hospital?" Miranda was concerned now. There was more to this then she was saying at the moment and no mind reading was getting through the jumbled mess that both of them were getting from Jeanie.  
"She was beaten, badly." Jeanie said, her eyes watered as she spoke the words. She hastily brushed them aside trying to remain strong so she could explain better. Letting her emotions get the better of her wasn't going to help the situation.

"I had to do surgery to repair her arm it was fractured that badly. She has a fractured zygomatic bone, so her left eye is swollen nearly shut. From the damage you'd think she was hit by a car but there's no damage to her legs at all, so I am sure she was beaten." She let a tear slip past her worried, tired eyes. She let it fall to the floor and looked up at her friends.

"I did my best to stabilize her but I think you two need to go see her before we lose her, internal bleeding from lacerations to her liver was extensive. My team did all we could to put her back together on the inside. Now it's a wait and see." Jeanie sighed as Miranda reached over and held her hand. The energy from her reaching her and calming her.

"Take us to see her OK. We will do what we can." She looked over to Chris and he nodded with a smile. He knew they would do whatever they had to in order to help the injured child, even if they child had no idea who they actually were.

Jeanie nodded and got up. "I need to clean up some first. She's stable for now so I'm hoping I have enough time to change and then we can head out. I haven't eaten all day because my guts have been rolling from stress."

"Sure, do what you need to." Chris replied as he saw her get up and head to her room. "We're just going to get ready." He watched her wander to her room and looked back at his lovely girlfriend who's face said it all. There was a challenge there and he knew she was going to take it head on.

Jeanie knew that Miranda's reaction to seeing this girl wasn't going to be the best. She knew that for the first time ever this wonderful young lady whom she'd gotten to know; who's innocence's was as endearing as her father's when he was around; would be shattered within a world she knew was partly her own. Not growing up here was bad enough, learning what hate could do to a person was going to be a very hard bitter pill to swallow and Jeanie hated to be the one to show her the results of what abuse could do to a person. She slipped into her new clothing, the smell of the hospital had been washed from her only thirty minutes before, her hair still wet but she knew she'd have to go back Miranda was instant on seeing this young lady. She pulled back her hair into a folded ponytail, and headed out the bedroom door. "I'm ready if you are." She said to two sets of anxious eyes. She picked up her keys from the bowl and was followed to the door without a word.

She was hardly bigger than a twelve year old child. Miranda cried when she saw the young lady. Her face so swollen her left eye wasn't even visible anymore. The angry prismatic colors that blotched her tiny facial features were dark and sullen save for the bright red streaks where her face had been lacerated, the suppurated wounds oozed. Miranda wiped tears from her eyes angry that someone could do this to a child. She looked at Jeanie.  
"For crying out loud! Jeanie! How old is she?" The shock and anger registered in her voice.  
"Well from all indications she's about twenty five, yet she looks to be about fifteen; give or take a few years." She absently added as she reached over to check her patients pulse.  
"There's no way she's twenty five!" Miranda said forgetting herself as she wallowed in the appalled emotion she was feeling for this young girls plight. Chris reached over to her.

"She very well might be, remember what Jeanie said; She's Earkin." He looked up when the realization clicked in her eyes that this sprite of a girl could be aging backwards.

"Oh Shazbot! Why in the Ork didn't I think of that?" She was bewildered with herself as much as she was dumbfounded over the damage this poor Earkin had gone through.  
"You're worried maybe?" Chris pulled her towards him and placed both his hands on her shoulders making her look him in the eyes. "Breath, I know this is tough; but remember you're still learning. This just happens to be the bad part of what humans can do."

"Abusive situations like this come in here more often then I'd like to see." Jeanie stated as Miranda turned around; Chris still by her side.

"So what can be done?" Miranda asked.

"Actually; nothing can be done right now. She needs to come out of her coma on her own and once she does the police will likely be brought in to ask her questions. Problem is..." Jeanie trailed off and sighed. "Problem is, more often than not these girls just tell us a lie and go right back to whoever it was who put them here in the first place." She looked at the tiny body on the bed. "I know this girl is part of our cities ever growing issue. A homeless child. Who works the streets to feed herself."

Miranda looked confused at first and Jeanie knew this would be hard to explain to her. She watched as her friend walked to the young girl and laid her hands on her. Jeanie knew it'd only be a matter of time before the young girl was awake but she needed to ensure that Miranda understood what was going on.

"There are a lot of people who live on the streets Miranda."

"Why?" Miranda asked, she felt her power flow from her, the color seeped across the young woman's hand.

"Some have no choice. Some lost their home. Some have addictions." Jeanie said.

"Addictions?" Miranda looked up. "You mean like drugs?" She watched Jeanie nod her head in agreement. Sighing Miranda looked down at the mystery woman. "Well I can tell you she's not someone to do drugs. Her system is strong, even if it's broken."

Jeanie wasn't surprised that Miranda could tell she was drug free. Toxicology told her that three house ago when she had her blood work done up. "We still don't know what happened to her." Jeanie picked up Jane doe's chart and looked over it. "To explain it in lamest terms, half of her face is pretty much a shattered mess. Both cheeks and nose. I was surprised to learn her jaw was intact."

Miranda looked at Jeanie. " Working the streets? A broken jaw isn't as bad as a broken life. If she's drug free what else is there?"

There was a sigh to her side, she felt Chris tense up. "Prostitution." He replied. "It's likely she was selling herself to live. If that's what happened, it's likely a John beat her."

"Well we need to find that John guy and have him sent to jail!" Miranda said, her brows furrowed with rage. "How dare he beat a small woman! It's not right!" She watched the monitor beep faster.

"Miranda." Chris looked at her. "A John is someone who buys sex from someone. Not the name, it's just a term used to say who that person is."

"Well whoever he is, he's vile!" Her upset made her burst and healing waves splashed around the whole room and even though Jeanie couldn't see it she sure could feel it. Even in a tense and moody situation she relaxed. It helped her think clearer.

"Miranda, if you keep with the healing waves, you're going to drown us all." Jeanie smiled. That alone dissipated the strain in the room. Miranda lifted her hands off the girl and watched the monitor steady.

"Why would someone need to sell their body like that? Doesn't love have any true value here other than currency?" Miranda's soul grieved a bit at the notion.

"Sometimes, when survival is all you're aiming for; love is left out all together. It's the act that gets the means to live. " Chris didn't like knowing this anymore than he could see she did. It was a very hard first lesson to learn.  
"I pray this isn't the case for this poor child!" Miranda didn't want to think this tiny child like woman had to perform like an animal in order to live. She knew she'd waken soon and when that happened she wanted to be there. She looked over and took stock of the girls facial features through the bruises and cuts. She could tell she had sharp features. Squared jaw. Her matted colored hair was enough to make her noticeable no matter where she was. Miranda picked up her hand and looked at the marks all over her. She rubbed but the marks remained.

"What is this?" She asked pointing to a semi colon mark on the woman's arm. Jeanie spoke up.

"It's a semi colon." She said smiling not realizing at first the confusion Miranda had.

"Uhh, I get the usage Jeanie, but why is it on her skin. Why doesn't it come off?"

Jeanie did have to stifle a chuckle. She still tend to forget just how green she was to Earthly things.

"It's a tattoo. An inking of the skin. These do not come off. It's wearable art." She looked at the tiny mark. Simple but with a powerful meaning.

"Why a semi colon?" Miranda didn't understand. She knew it was used in writing when a writer could have ended a sentence but chose to continue.

"It's for mental health awareness Miranda." Chris said as he too looked at the small mark, running his finger over it. "You're the writer of your life's story." He looked at her knowing her own father had ended his life's story. Understanding registered on her face and she nodded.

"A powerful message in a simple mark." Chris let her lean back against him as she took in the info she was getting. It was then that she heard the thoughts of the young girl beside her before she heard her.  
She stiffened and looked down.

"OH my!" Miranda said. She looked at Jeanie. "She got hurt trying to save someone Jeanie!"


	2. Connections

Chapter 2 - Connections

Miranda stopped, a feeling of being paralysed over took her as the flashes of memories slammed into her like an over loaded truck. She cried out and tried to reach for her head but her hands felt surreal. It was then she heard her father, and for the first time; felt his presents like he was right there with her. The vivid images going a mile a minute. Hands cradled her head. The girl she seen in the hospital, her rainbow hair flying behind her as she chased after a car. Miranda felt torn and didn't know what was going on.

"I'm here Miputer, I got you!" her father said. She could feel him holding her. With the chaos ensuing around her she felt nauseous for the first time ever too, the summersaults in her stomach making her last consumed meal into slurry. She didn't understand how she could feel him there, or why he was but she wasn't going to worry about that now. "I'm scared Daddy!" She could hear herself but didn't know if she had spoken out loud. The girl before her was running yelling for someone her hands out reached towards an unknown.

"Chelsie!" She screamed. Miranda tried to reach for the girl who screamed as she slipped out of her reach. The memories still flying around like scattered glitter... colorful and vibrant but sticking everywhere and making a oddly discombobulated mess. She felt the impact this young girl had felt. It made her cry out yet again. Mork tried his best to soften the blow. This new girl he had seen when his daughter viewed her; troubled him. He knew she was in trouble but he didn't realize just what kind.

"Breath Miranda, it's just memories... thoughts, something this girl is reliving. Focus Miputer, look around. What do you see?" He tried to get her to do something other than feel what this young Earkin girl had gone through. Miranda looked around as she heard the blows. Two men, one was hitting; the other spoke.

She focused on the talker, she saw that darkness dressed him with flashes of gold. His weapons were vile words as his partner used the child as a punching bag. He tore her apart with hate upon his tongue and spat on her as his friend finished his assault. They left but not before Miranda got a good look at both of them.

"Daddy what the hell just happened?" She asked a bit stunned and worried at the same time as she looked around the memories this young Earkin had thrown at her with the force of a Earth tornado. She was still locked in this girls head and she had no idea how to get out. She felt her dad tug her hand, but she still couldn't see him.

"I think you're in a connection call. Like I use to do when I tried to contact Orson. She's an Earkin sweetie. She'd have the ability to do this. I just don't think she's aware she can."

"Goodness me! Why in the world could I FEEL things?" Miranda was still baffled at what was going on and checked herself over only to realize she was fine. It was the girl laying before her that was injured.

"OH Fokenzitz!" Miranda came out of her ponderings and went to the young lady's body and looked her over.  
The girl groaned. "Have to get Chelsie back." She mumbled softly. The girl reached to grab Miranda's hand. "Tell Sophie, I'm sorry." She stopped talking and her arm dropped. The whole scene went black.

"What happened?" Miranda stood and all there was, was darkness.

"I think she blacked out Miputer." Her father said; he sighed loudly. "Now you need to disconnect like you do with Orwell."

Miranda nodded and tried and sure enough she could hear Chris and Jeanine speaking to her in panicked tones.

"Miranda! Come on wake up! Are you OK?!" Chris was petting her face lightly but with urgency. She pulled her hand away from him and whined. The pain in her head was overwhelming and she shaded her eyes from the bright overhead lights of the room she was in.

"My goodness you gave us an awful fright!" Jeanie said as she checked her pulse. Miranda sat upright quickly.

"I'm Ok if not shook up." Miranda needed to tell them what happened.

"That girl tried to save someone named Chelsie." Miranda looked around and realized she wasn't in the same room she was in before. "OH! Now I know why everything went dark, you guys moved me; I lost the connection." She mumbled a bit disappointed.

Chris looked at her confused. "Huh?"

Miranda realized they needed to know just what had happened. "I think she was having a lucid moment." She paused before going on thinking of how to explain so Jeanie got the idea of what was going on. "Dad said he thought she'd made a connection like I do when I contact Orwell. She's after all Earkin, she'd have the ability to reach out to another, she just might not be aware of how to do it." Jeanie let go of her wrist as she listened to Miranda explain.

"I think because I was the closest one and hand been touching her this is why I got pulled in. I saw what happened to her. She asked me to tell Sophie she was sorry..."

"Did you see anything else?" Chris asked as he pondered her words.

"Lots of different things, someone took another girl; in a car. I think it was silver or white but the image was fuzzy." She took a breath. Her nerves were still vibrating from the whole ordeal. "I still don't know her name." That was the biggest thing Miranda felt she'd failed on, she knew two others this girl seemed to know, Chelsie and Sophie but not her. She looked around and took a deep breath. It only took a few seconds and she knew where the other girl was and got up to go to her.

"WOAH! Where do you think you're going?" Jeanie asked as she watched her friend get off the gurney.

"To find out her name." Miranda said determined to figure out just what the hell was going on.

"I'm concerned for you too Miranda, I think Jane Doe can wait." She walked in front of her and touched her head with the back of her hand.

"I'm fine!" She insisted as she pushed her hand down. "Really." She looked at Jeanie eyes wide as if to say, PLEASE don't treat me like a baby.

"She's right Miputer. You should relax, that girl isn't going anywhere. I don't want to see you exhausted like before, remember." She heard the worry in her father's voice and slumped. She knew she couldn't ignore him. She sat back down and pouted.

"What's wrong Alaika?" Chris's endearment for her was always so sweet and more so when he touched her cheek and raised her chin so she could look him in the eyes. He; as usual; brushed stray strands of her dark hair from her face. She exhaled in exasperation.

"Dad's worried so..." She paused and sighed again. "I'm listening to him and taking a breather. Jeanie's right; that girl isn't going anywhere, but I still want to know her name."

Chris looked over at the room across the hall where the girl with the brightly colored hair was laying. He knew there was more to the story behind her ending up here and so far his girlfriend knew more than he did.

"How about I sit here with you and you fill me in on details on what you saw while you rest. I'm sure Jeanie won't have a problem with you recouping here while she checks in on the other young lady." He looked over at Jeanie who nodded and then slipped from the room. Miranda tried to settle into Chris's arms as he relaxed back on the gurney that had the head of it elevated so they could still be sitting but resting as well. He placed his legs on either side of Miranda and hugged her from behind. She was still tense and he could feel it, he let his energy loose on her and she finally relaxed. He listened with intense interest. The fine details she gave of her encounter had him baffled on the real reason why the girl in the next room had been beaten. He had a few hunches and being a detective he felt it was a good idea to check out some of the ideas he had and he would as soon as he had time.

Miranda had finished telling him all that she'd seen, felt or heard and seemed to become a tad bit sullen. He waited for her to speak but then realized that she'd fallen asleep. He kissed her forehead as Jeanie came back into the room.

"So?" She asked him. "What did she say?"

Chris carefully slipped out from under Miranda who was a solid sleeper when out. He stood and pulled his shirt which had rode up, back into place.

"From what info she gave me I believe that this girl was trying to keep someone from being taken. If this is the case and she was on the streets, then it could be a case of human trafficking. It's not that uncommon, problem is most of the girls end up in Toronto before they get sent anywhere else."

He pondered a moment. "I think I should pop home and check out some of the stuff Miranda told me and see if anything pans out." He watched as Jeanie checked her watch.

"How long do you think you'll be gone? She wanted to be sure that she could keep Miranda preoccupied while Chris was gone, and Chris was aware how much of a handful Miranda could be when he or her brother wasn't around. The term "Curiosity killed the cat" came to mind when it came to Miranda and all the new things she was learning. Chris and Jeanie and her brother seemed to be the only ones to keep her from hurting herself or getting into trouble. He chuckled when he remember her learning about speech activated machines and how she thought she could talk to an elevator that spoke to her the floors, getting audio applications confused with speech applications.

"Not more than three hours if I can help it. You can always tell her to go see mom. I know mom would keep her content and out of trouble too." He watched Jeanie smile and nod as she walked over and checked Miranda's pulse.

"Yeah that's not a problem. I know she can be quite inquisitive and all and it tends to get her into all sorts of dilemmas but I believe I can handle her today, she's got a one tract mind right now and I think that little girl in the other room will be all she's worried about." Jeanie smiled over at Chris as she finished checking Miranda, she placed her hand on her arm and nodded. "Go do what you need to, we'll be here."

He looked quite pleased and smirked as he headed out the door. A quick wave and he was off. Jeanie looked back at Miranda. She'd be asleep for a bit and she grabbed a warm blanket and covered her friend. The other young lady was next in line for some attention.

*****************************

Zari didn't understand who the lady with the dark hair was but she had tried to reach out to her and managed to show her what had happened. Then she lost her. She KNEW that the other woman was like her, she just didn't know how she knew. Zari wandered in her head for hours trying to get out but she was having no luck. She could hear people, she knew what was going on but she couldn't answer. She was lost yet right in front of everyone's face. She needed to help Chelsie and tell Sophie that she was sorry. She never meant for any of this to happen.

Zari's mental sob was physical as well; as Jeanie witnessed the tears that escaped from the child's battered face. She brushed them away gently and spoke to the girl.

"I don't know your name my child, but we will try to find out. The lady who was with me today can help." Jeanie pushed her flamboyantly colorful hair from her face, and took her hand. "I don't know how you did it but you made a connection on your own with Miranda and she's determined to find out what happened to you and your friend Chelsie and Sophie." Jeanie felt the child's hand stiffen at her friends names. She smiled. Jeanie knew then and there that the young lady could hear her and there was a good chance she would come out of her coma. She wrote about the response on her chart and placed it back into its holder on the door. Jeanie figured she'd have a few hours before Miranda woke so decided she could do a few rounds. She headed off hoping that the mystery of Jane Doe would be over soon.

It was a good thing he had the I-28 beam to get around. It sure made travel easier, no one missed him when he was in Halifax because he was able to get back to the detachment whenever he was needed or whenever he needed their help, whenever he was asked where he was he always stated undercover tracking on a case. It prevented too many questions.

He checked the computer files at the Eglinton Police detachment in Toronto and wasn't surprised to see how many young women had been listed as missing. Many cases were listed within Special Operations and the Organized Crime taskforce, several were thought to have been kidnapped. He thought to himself as he scanned the countless images of young faces.

He'd been an independent freelance detective for several years till one of his friends who worked at the Eglinton Police force came to him asking for help with an exceptional case where a child's life was at stake. Gary Sharp was a veteran at the force with twenty seven years under his belt and back in 2007 there was a child who'd gone missing when his father had taken off with him. Gary knew Chris's track record and came to him asking for help. It had taken Chris all of thirteen hours and he had found the child much to his friends delight.

The rescue went well but the child's father ended up committing suicide during the whole ordeal. Regardless of the outcome Gary promised that if Chris ever needed the detachments help all he had to do was ask or drop by and do his own research if he needed. It worked well for everyone since the chief came to him often when there were missing children involved. To Chris, Gary seemed to materialize from thin air. It always threw him off when that happened, especially when he was as absorbed as he was when Gary placed his hand on his shoulder making him jump.

"Fokenzit! His reaction was in Orkian and he cringed.

"Learning German now are you? Is that for a new case you're working on?" Gary chuckled as he slapped his buddy's back.

"Actually my girlfriend is, I just happened to pick up on the cuss words faster than I should have." He absently chuckled hoping to keep his friend amused and not focused on the word he'd muttered.

"So what are you tracking today? Gary asked as he looked at the screen. He noticed the young girls and looked at Chris.

"Another missing kid?" He looked concerned.

"Actually; a Jane Doe a friend of mine asked about. We're trying to figure out who she is. There hasn't been any reports in her area on who she is so I figured I'd check here and see if anything popped out at me since we don't have her name, only the first names of her friends."

"Do you know if she's a run away or where she's from?" Gary asked as he watched Chris scroll through the images.

"No, no idea, just that she had two friends. Sophia and Chelsie." Chris jumped again when Gary stopped his hand from scrolling the wheel any further.

"Hey man! What the hell?" Chris was baffled at the look on Gary's face. He was more confused when Gary pushed his hand off the mouse and then took the keyboard and started typing, in a moment flashing before his face was the rainbow haired child.

Name: Zari Liams Age: 18 DOB: July 21, 1997 Height: 5' 1" Weight: 101 LBS Hair color: Brown Eye color: blue Hometown: Toronto, Ontario. Reported missing April 2nd 2011 age 14 by mother Jillian.  
NOTE: Zari has a unique birthmark on her left shoulder that looks like a flower.

"Oh my! That's her!" Chris was stunned. "How the hell did you know who I was talking about?" He asked his friend.

"Because of the girls you mentioned." He typed again "We've been trying to find them for nearly four years." He turned around in his chair as he laid down the keyboard he had taken from his friend. There before Chris were two very pretty young girls. Both no more than 14 at the time the pictures were taken. Chelsie and Sophie Moore. Twins; both with red hair, their blue eyes showed joy. Chris sighed as he read through the report. Seemed the girls disappeared from Toronto when they decided to run off with Zari to Boston to meet someone. Chris was discouraged. The files said that the police lost the twins trail after they'd been missing about three months but then Zari showed up out of the blue telling the police that they had been kidnapped and someone had taken the girls to another city to be used as slaves. The officer who'd taken her statement back in 2012 passed away only 6 months ago. His report was slim and lacked any real conviction on his believing the child who'd told him what had happened to her friends.

"Geesh!" He said out loud as he ran his hand through his hair.

"I take it you made it to the report about Zari showing here telling Constable Walker about what had happened. He didn't seem all too convinced about the statement and didn't do anything to actually track the girls down. I am honestly disappointed. Most of the Special Forces didn't find out about it till almost two week after the original report was made." Gary looked defeated when he stated this.

"What?! But why?" Chris was stunned.

"We're not too sure." Gary pointed to the end of the report where Walker had written "Witness is likely an unreliable source. There are no current reports about any missing girls within the city."

Chris was stunned to read that. "I have to call my friend and tell her I know her Jane Doe's name. She's going to be stunned when she learns that this girl is from here."


	3. Tricked

**Tricked**  
 **************

It never crossed Zari's mind that trying to meet her father would be so terrifying; after all she'd asked her mother over and over again throughout the years who he was but getting an answer was tedious at the best of times. Her mother was always so closed lipped about her past and it had bothered Zari. Her mom never said anything bad about her dad but she never spoke of him either, like he didn't exist. She felt alienated by her own mother's lack of willingness to help her seek out her biological father, so she relied on social media to find him and much to her amazement got an answer within days.

She'd been so very ecstatic. She learned all she could about him. She saw a few pictures, learned she had half siblings and he asked her to visit him. In Boston. She couldn't believe her luck, he sent her a few dollars to help offset the costs and she asked her two friends Chelsie and Sophia to come to Boston with her to meet him. She couldn't wait to finally feel like she was a normal teen with two actual parents even if they were separated. Her twin sibling friends agreed to go with her and pooled their resources and jumped on the Megabus to New York City then transferred to the Acela Express and headed to Boston. It was a long trip sixteen hour trip but Zari was so very eager to meet her father and everything was a whirlwind moment after she finally met him. His name was Tony but he told them that his pals called him "Tonk" like the slogan from Tonka truck toys. "Built to last." He had the same dark hair she did and the same crystal blue laughing eyes. He was really tall, so towered over her. At least she finally knew where she got her height from and it wasn't him. He'd treated her friends great, and spoiled her too. Showed her around his nice home which was very large and spacious and located in a quiet are of the city where he lived. They got to swim in his pool after he bought all three of them swim suits and other fun things. His friends took pictures of all of them together. She thought it was great, she'd finally met her dad; problem was. He wasn't.

Tony saw the young girl with her poster board note asking for help in finding her dad. She looked sweet and innocent and he knew a child doing this usually was looking for validation from any parental figure they could. He did after all minor in child psychology back in his hay days. He realized if he jumped on there first. Made some claims he'd be able to get her trust but he needed info first. So he did some digging and he got his hacker buddy to do some too. He learned a lot about Zari Liams, about where they lived, who her mother was, even what she looked like. He got her mother's social media hacked easily enough. It only took a few days for her mother to click on the share link for extra coins for one of the several hundred games she played online and soon enough he had pictures of Zari's mom when she was a young lady. His hacker buddy did up a few dummy pictures in Photoshop and that was pretty much the golden ticket to him. Him and his buddies created a back story and soon as he figured he had his ducks in a row he went in for the "kill." He had NO idea she'd be so sweet as to bring with her two more youngsters even prettier than she was. Tony was delighted times three and as he watched them play in the pool he watched his online auctions for all three soar price wise. He chuckled at his luck. He was pleasantly please she fell for the story that her mother had run off when he'd asked her to marry him only to find out a year after that she'd had Zari and they had lived in Ottawa almost under his nose for nearly two years. Zari was surprised to learn that he had lived on Montreal Rd while they were only a few blocks down from him. She was disappointed in her mother's behavior so when he asked her not to contact her mom because she'd have a fit that Zari had found him. "You know she's only going to pack you up and run off with you again. Every time I found her you guys moved; remember when you moved in the middle of the night to Sarnia?" Zari did remember that and figured if he knew he was telling her the truth so she agreed to keep her lips shut. Her mom after all could be such a stick in the mud. It was too bad though that her choice would be all of their undoing.

Zari woke one evening about a week after she'd taken off from her mom's place; four years ago in the home of Tony Antos, a Czechoslovakian immigrant who stole away on a ship that landed in Boston. He pretended to be an unloader when the ship came in and was docked for a few hours. It was his only way off. He'd taken off from his own country where he'd nearly been caught for profiting off of sex slaves. Young girls he'd tricked into doing things when they didn't want to for money they desperately needed. He'd been given a new chance and a whole new city in which to groom young girls.

Zari had been confused when she'd woken up to a scream she was sure was Chelsie's. Each of the girls had been given their own room to sleep in. The house was huge and since all of the girls loved their space they took advantage of it. Zari got up and slipped out of the room to check in on Chelsie only to find the man she thought was her father hauling Chelsie down the hall with his hand firmly grappled over her mouth. She was struggling to get away and Zari was mortified.

She didn't know what to do so she pretended to be half asleep and rubbed her eyes and half ass staggered and said "Dad? What are you doing?" He stopped and grunted at the girl he had in his grip and let her face go. He gripped Chelsie tighter.

"Nothing hun, go back to bed." Tony was worried she'd wake up fully and realize what he was up to.

"Chelsie, uhh.. you OK?" She looked at her friend as if to be half asleep and Chelsie shook her head no. Tony yanked on the girl.

"Just a bad dream pumpkin. Go back to bed while I help her." Chelsie screeched and pulled as hard as she could slipping from Tony's grasp, this made Zari jump. She stood wide eyes and the man before her turned into a totally different person. He chased, grabbed and hit Chelsie, hard making her cry out yet again; she fell to the floor. Sophia ran to the hall where everything was going on and cried out to her sister.

"Chelsie!"

Zari grabbed Sophie's hand and pulled her back before she could bolt to her sister, god only knows what he'd do to them. They ran together back to her room. She slammed the door and locked it; crying as she heard Chelsie struggle as they hauled her off and listened to Sophie as she too cried for her sister. It was only a matter of minutes and the man who claimed to be her father was pounding on it screaming at her and Sophia. Zari was scared, why was he hurting Chelsie? She had to get her back. She felt so confused and now worried. It was her fault; she'd gotten them into this. She had to think fast.

"Listen to me Sophia, I don't know what's going on but you gotta get away OK?" She watched Sophia nod with tears in her eyes as she watched the girl shake like a leaf as she sobbed. "Go tell someone where we are, I'll go get your sister OK."

Sophia sobbed louder but agreed and asked. "How do we get out? How are you going to get Chelsie?"

"Let me worry about that." Zari said, "Get out the window, the drop to the ground isn't too far." She took Sophia over to the window and helped her push out the screen. The pounding intensified as they both realized Tony had someone else with him. They would break down the door at the rate they were going. She helped Sophia out the window and held her as she slid down the siding leaning out as far as she could out the window. She let Sophia drop to the ground. She pulled herself back as she heard the wood splinter to the door. She looked over at the fist coming through. She did the only thing she knew how to. Fight.

Zari had always been a troubled child. She'd constantly been in trouble with her peers. Fights at school were commonplace. She was the odd man out. Being small made her a target. Everyone seemed drawn to her and decided she was their personal kicking post. It was in grade five she realized she had an ability to stop the bullies once and for all. It had taken her by surprise, some kid was yanking on her hair. He'd been picking on her all day. She finally had enough and turned to face him. She yelled at him and called him a meanie; he laughed in her face and took a swing.

She threw up her hands to block his strike only it never came. Next thing she knew he was out cold against the bricks of the school. She got suspended because he claimed she punched him in the face; even though there wasn't any bruises. Her mother was mortified. The bullying however didn't stop and she was still a target time and time again; only by the third time she'd been victimized, Zari realized what she could do. She used it to her advantage. Too bad her mother saw the bullying as a means to move away time and time again. Little did Zari know it was to avoid her being taken away by specialists to be poked and prodded. Jillian was doing the only thing she could to protect her daughter. Moving ensured that. Keeping her secret was getting harder and harder and Zari wasn't making it any easier.

Anger… this was all it took. Like so soda bottle shaken in a paint can mixer… after a while the top would pop off and explode, Zari would too and anyone in her way got hurt. She didn't know what it was or how to control it very well but she knew how to use it when she needed it. This was one of those moments.

His face merged. Donnie, one of her father's friends. She waited for him to reach in to unlock the door. He did as she expected him to and she hauled off and kicked him as hard as she could. He laughed at her. (shake, shake, shake)

"Jesus kid, I've had mosquito bites hit me harder!" He opened the door and walked in still laughing.  
(Shake, shake, shake)

She ran at him and clawed his arm, kicked him and screamed. "Give back Chelsie!"

He watched her abused his side. The blows felt like he was being hit by a toddler. Her grabbed her by her hair. It hurt, bad. She stopped. He pushed her down on the floor and she cried out in pain. He laughed again. Anger built. (Shake, shake, shake)

"Didn't your mamma teach you not to be so stupid when you went online?" He gloated as he looked out the door and yelled to his boss. "I got her, now what?"

She heard him yell back. "Chuck her in the basement with the other one. I got to get this little snot she's being a handful!" Zari could hear a struggle and felt her world fall apart. Sophie didn't get away and now they were all in big trouble. (Shake, shake, shake)

He went to grab her and Zari spit in Donnie's face. This gave him a start at first… He wiped the saliva off of his cheek and looked at it. Disgusted he took a swing. (BOOM!) It was the last thing he tried to do. Zari let loose and he went flying through the air and through a wall. He was out cold in a matter of seconds. Zari ran, she didn't look back. She HAD to go get help.

It had taken Zari a few hours to get into town from where he father's place was but she didn't manage to get any help. The police did nothing for her because they thought she was just a troublemaker and ignored her claims that her father whom she'd just met kidnapped her friends.

"Look kid, just because you and your old man are fighting doesn't mean you can waste city resources for your entertainment, now go home!"

Zari was mortified. No one believed her and she had no way to help her friends. She sat and cried and it wasn't until she'd been approached by a homeless lady that she realized she was truly in a pickle. Zari spoke with the woman and told her the dilemma she was in when she'd asked her what was wrong. The young lady who'd approached her told her that in Boston there were girls who went missing a lot especially runaways who needed money. She continued to ramble and Zari was in her own world till the vagrant woman started describing the man she'd believed was her father.

"Oh my god! That's Tony!" She grabbed the girl by the shoulders. "He took my friends. I thought he was my dad!"

The young woman looks at Zari; brown hair a mess, her clothes torn. "He's a predator in this area. He is not a father to anyone. He is a monster!" She shook visibly and Zari realized that Tony had tricked her. "I have to get my friends back. Can you help me?"

"I'm Charlie," She stuck out her hand for Zari to shake and nodded "I'll help you, he took two of my friends too."

**************************************************

"I'm telling you Jeanie, that girl you have there, she's been missing for four years! I just spoke to her mother, Jillian is frantic!" Jeanie could hear him sigh over the phone and heard him move and shuffle some papers. "I wish I could get into her head and get more info, this is a perplexing case." Jeanie had an idea then balked at the notion but then said it anyway.

"Miranda could."

Jeanie was right and no sooner had she mentioned Miranda's name she'd walked into her office's door and sat down on the sofa.

"I could what?" She said.


	4. Coming Clean

**Chapter 4 - Coming clean.**

Jeanie sighed and had hoped that it wouldn't come to this but it looked like it was going to. She told Chris to hurry home that things had to be worked on and she was going to talk to Miranda. "OK, I'll see you soon." Jeanie hung up and looked over at Miranda who seemed to be OK compared to a few hours ago.

"Well first things first." Jeanie said to Miranda hoping that she'd be Ok with the info she was going to tell her. She got up from her seat and leaned against her desk, legs crossed. "Chris is in Toronto right now. He decided to check out some possible leads and it appears he was right on the money. He knows who the young girl I brought you to see is." She waited to see what Miranda was going to say.

"And?" Miranda said waiting for Jeanie to go on. She anticipated something major and she always had a knack for knowing something was going to happen. She just had no idea what.

"Oh! Her name is Zari." Jeanie turned to go sit back down in her seat when she heard Miranda blurt out the young girls last name.

"Liams!" She said wide eyed. "Oh my!" Her hands flew to her mouth as she looked up at Jeanie. "I know her dad!"

"What? You do?" Jeanie asked a bit stunned at the turn of events that froze her in her tracks.

"Yeah I served for him while on mission with dad about seven years ago. Zari was only about eight years old then, but she had brown hair, not that rainbow mess this child has." Miranda pointed into the general direction of where Zari was. She looked at Jeanie.

"He knew his daughter was on Earth, but she didn't know him. Jillian, her mother decided to keep her on Earth because of the laws in Ork." Miranda sighed. She had been listening to her father go on in her head about Commander Turiz Liams, how he'd done some amazing things for Ork's industrial aspects.

"Hush Daddy, please." She said to him trying to gather her thoughts. She knew Turiz well. He wasn't much older than her based on human years but he aged backwards. Miranda remembered what Jeanie said about Zari's age and she was a bit confused. Zari looked like she aged forwards like she did, but her bones said something else.

Jeanie watched Miranda mull over something, she'd heard her tell her father to keep it down and ten to one he was trying to give her information. Jeanie was always fascinated with how the Orkian body and mind worked and she hoped in the near future she could learn more. Miranda got up and paced and Jeanie watched intently waiting to see what she had figured out.

"Ok dad, if Orkians age backwards and earthlings forwards and Earkins can be either... what would happen if an Earkin had a mutation of their genetic makeup?"

She had to ask him, it was the only logical explanation she could think of, a lot of the medical info she learned about over the last three months was from Jeanie and this wasn't something she was fully aware of when it came to her Orkian side of her DNA.

"I'm not sure Miputer. Orkians were created years ago in Petri dishes, there wasn't any mutation issues back then. We are a superior species, no flaws. " She heard her father mumble and then her mother came on line.

"Miranda what's wrong hun?" Mindy was concerned about her girl and the issue was she was currently facing. Miranda voiced her question to her mother too.

"Well," Mindy said, uncertainty in her voice. "There could be many factors that can cause issues. Earkins as you call them are genetically made up of both species, So considering that humans are prone to genetic follies I can't see why an Earkin couldn't have a mutation. Is this what's wrong with Turiz's daughter?"

"Yeah, I think so. I'll get back to you guys on this soon enough. I have to go speak to Jeanie. Then I need to contact Reach."

Miranda looked at Jeanie and spoke. "Mom believes; like I do; that it is possible for an Earkin to have a genetic mutation. "

Jeanie looked at Miranda confused. "Uh...Where is this all coming from?" Jeanie was confused.

"You said Zari's bones look 25 but her face is 15. She's actually 18 but I think she picked up a human mutation that makes her bones older than she actually is and her appearance ages backwards; although much slower; like an Orkian."

Janie stopped and realized the ramifications of that possibility and knew it could be the reason why no one was looking for her as she was now as police would be searching for a girl with age progression on her images.

"I need to contact Reach. He needs to notify her father. I believe she needs to be on Ork but I have to find out what happened to her first. "

Jeanie agreed on that aspect. "This is what I was telling Chris. I think you can talk to her. If you connected before I think you can again."

"That's a brilliant idea Jeanie!" Miranda was all for trying again if it meant helping the child.

"Not right now. Wait till Chris gets here. You'll need him for the energy boost. I want her father and mother around when you try too. This isn't something I want taken lightly Miranda. I want to continue learning about your kind, but not at the expense of someone getting hurt OK?"

"Sure." Miranda agreed Jeanie was right. No need in exhausting herself. She had to plan.

"But she doesn't know her father!" Jillian was stunned when she was approached by Chris and told that her daughter had been found. He informed her that she'd tried to track down her father and what had happened to her in the last four years.

"I'm aware of this Mrs Liams. This is why I am letting you know she tried to track him down. Her not knowing him is why she ended up in the situation she did, in the hands of people who would do her more harm than good." He sighed. "It was pretty bad, even several police officers didn't believe her when she claimed she and her friends were kidnapped."

"All I tried to do was protect her. I didn't want her to be taken from me, and then she goes and runs off to find a man she won't find." Jillian sobbed she'd known all this would catch up with her soon enough but she had no way of explaining anything without people thinking she was nuts or taking her daughter from her.

Chris looked at the venerable woman and caught the thoughts she had flying around a mile a minute. fear, planning, worry about people finding out about her daughter's secret. Chris put his hand on her shoulder and muttered five words that made her react in sheer terror. "I already know her secret."

"NO! NO YOU DON'T! You know nothing!" Jillian's venomous reaction didn't allow her to think or realize that Chris had read her thoughts till he spoke again.

"I know you plan on running again. I even know where." Chris paused. "and no, you can't hide off the grid, I will and can ALWAYS find you or your daughter and if I can't then my girlfriend can, because of who your daughter is."

Jillian's eyes widened, realization clicked in and she curled up in a ball on her beige couch and shook. "NO! No! no!... you can't take her. You can't!" She rocked, still planned and mumbled to herself. "She doesn't know, she wasn't told. I knew I made a mistake."

"Jillian, relax. I'm not here to take her. I'm here to help you. Both my girlfriend and I are like your daughter too." He figured those words would ease her fears, he didn't realize she wouldn't believe him.

"HA!" Jillian laughed. "There's no one like my daughter. You don't get it man! She's not a typical kid."  
Jillian stopped and stared at Chris. "If you think you're anything like her PROVE it!"

It was all Chris needed to get this woman to understand that they were there to help her. He placed his hand out for her to reach. "Come with me, and I'll show you."

She looked at him confused and thought he was crazy.

"No my good lady, I'm not crazy, but I am going to prove to you who I am."

Jillian reached up took his hand and in a flash they disappeared from Jillian's home. All that remained in the small split level house was the low click of the furnace turning on.

*****************************  
"WHAT THE HELL?" Jillian was totally baffled, disorientated, scared and stunned all at the same time. She'd let go of Chris's hand and pulled away from him. She stumbled and realized she wasn't in her own home. She looked around at the room which looked like an office. She frowned.

"What did you do?" She glared at him and prepared to defend herself if she needed to.

"There's no need to get defensive Jillian, I took you with me. We are at the hospital where your daughter is.

The perplexity to her situation rode across her face leaving wrinkled marks in her soft skin. "But... how?"

"I told you, I'm like your daughter, and soon you will meet my girlfriend who is like her as well and the Dr who knows your daughters secret too because she's the only Dr your daughter will ever have that will understand who she is."

It was a matter of moments when Miranda walked into Jeanie's office door, she could always tell when Chris was close by.

"Oh fantastic you brought her, I was hoping you would." Miranda reached out and touched the frantic woman's hand and instantly she calmed down. Miranda held onto her and pulled her to sit down on Jeanie's office sofa.

"Hi Jillian, I'm Miranda, and this;" She paused as she looked over at Jeanie "This is Dr. Jeanie DaVinci." She gestured to her friend and Jeanie nodded and waved to the now very calm woman.

"As you may have noticed, you're pretty calm right now. I hope you don't mind but I felt it necessary to aid you in relaxing."

As perplexed as Jillian was she just nodded and agreed. She had no idea how this lovely lady calmed her down but she felt no need to worry about it.

"Can I see my daughter?" Jillian couldn't help asking this and as a parent Miranda expected it from her. Miranda looked at Jeanie and waited to see what she said.

"You can in due time, right now we need info because we're having a few complications in regards to her health."

"Complications? What kind of complications?" Jillian was OK with the questions, she was worried but she wasn't as frantic as she normally would be. The lady holding her hand was smiling at her and she still was confused on what was going on but it didn't bother her which confused her but she didn't really want to worry about it and that all on its own had her baffled on just what was going on."

Miranda looked at Jeanie and spoke the long time simple greeting Orkians all did. As she did so she let go of Jillian's hand to gauge her reaction without her keeping her calm. She stuck out her hand as well.

"Na-Nu, Na-Nu." Miranda smiled and waited to see what would happen. All of them were surprised to see Jillian's reaction. Deadpanned in the face she looked to Miranda and responded with

"Na-Nu, Na-Nu." She stiffened and then asked. "When will they take her away?"

"Huh?" now everyone was baffled at Jillian's statement.

"When will they take Zari away?" Jillian decided if her kind were here someone figured out Zari's secret and they were there to take her away.

"Uhh, we're not here to take her away. We're here to help." Miranda and Chris said in unison.

Jillian's turmoil of the whole situation once again etched itself across her face making her look much older than what she was. She had been sure that once her daughters secret was figured out they'd take her away.

"I assumed once her lineage was figured out and what her ability was then the Orkian counsel would come and take her away. Turiz told me himself about the laws I wasn't aware of as a youth as I wasn't raised on Ork. I only learned of things when I met him by accident and through another man with a child."

"What? You're Orkian too?" Miranda was really thrown for a loop with this information. Why couldn't she tell?

"Not quite. I'm half. I was told by Turiz's cadet that's what I was. I don't know who my parents are, I was raised in foster care. I had a weird ability to manipulate metals, I thought I would get into trouble with that so I hid it but for some reason this Orkian was able to find me and tell me everything was going to be OK." She sighed. She had regrets but she had something bigger as well. She continued with her story. "Thing is; I fell in love with Turiz. I didn't realize that we would have a child together. When he returned and found out I had, he warned me of the laws there; how it would be likely they wouldn't accept her since she was less than perfect Orkian. I was terrified they'd take her, and possibly hurt her. She's a bit human but more Orkian than anything and she has an ability that's dangerous and has gotten us into trouble more times than I care to count." Jillian was calm the whole time she spoke; without Miranda's help.

"Well I can assure you that we're not here to hurt her, if anything we're going to try and help her. She; however; has a even bigger bit of information that could help us and we need to get her to come to, and with that comes the need to connect with her mind. Are you aware of how this is done?" Chris was waiting to see what she'd say and only got a nod from Jillian before she spoke again.

"Turiz use to call this way, asking how Zari was. He did every week he wasn't on mission. He even told me things changed because of his cadet's work, someone who'd been promoted over the years. Even helped bring emotions back to the whole planet." Jillian had a tear escape her eye and she swiftly brushed it away. "I was still scared someone would hurt her for not being perfect so I refused time and time again to send her to Ork. Turiz got tired of asking and stopped. Soon the calls got fewer. I hadn't heard from him in almost a month. I'm sure he blames me for Zari's disappearance, even though he said he'd help track her down."

Miranda realized she was the one who'd found Zari's mom. She knew now why she'd recalled the child's last name, how she remembered her hair color. "My dad found you because of me." She said to Jillian.

"You? How?" Jillian squinted and then realization dawned on her face. Her eyes widened. "You're the child Turiz's cadet had with him!" Miranda nodded.

"I can track anyone who's an Earkin, that by the way is what you are. Your daughter is too, but she's more Orkian than she is earthling. With that being said, I think there's a few things we need to sort out, like why she looks so young but her bones show she's older than she actually is."

Jillian nodded and sighed. "She has a growth disorder, Dr's can't pin point it but said something about her not making enough of the hormones to make her grow right. Thing is because of this her body seems to get younger while her bones get older." She rubbed the back of her head with a agonized look on her face. "Time and time again she'd get into fights and end up with broken bones even though she insisted she never laid a hand on the other person, and there was never any bruises on the person she'd hurt but bones would break; in the beginning it was only small fractures; before she disappeared they had gotten worse and worse." She looked at Jeanie. "You said you can help?"

Jeanie nodded. She knew enough about human conditions and figured if this girl was having growth issues all she needed was hormone replacement therapy; thing was; would it take? "I believe I can."  
She watched the woman's face melt with relief.

"You said she has an ability?" Miranda watched as Jillian nodded fear once again etched her face.

"She can move things when she's mad. HUGE things. Problem is, every time she does, she gets hurt."

"OH!" Chris and Miranda looked at each other and realized this child had telekinetic abilities. With the growth disorder it would mean her energy was being used on the ability and not on healing. It weakened her.

"She's a kinetic kid!" Miranda was impressed, it took a LOT of energy to move things. She knew this first hand since she was able to do this as well. Her father taught her through the videos he and her mother had left her before they had passed on. She stopped and realized her father was awfully quiet throughout this whole interaction. Miranda raised her hand to let Chris know she was pausing and he knew what she was doing even though Jillian looked confused again with what was going on around her. She still felt calm but she could feel without interference. She watched the young dark haired girl she'd met so many years ago.

"Daddy? How come you're so quiet, what aren't you telling me?"

"I'm sorry Miputer. Sorry I didn't tell you she was one you helped me with too." Miranda loved her dad dearly but it really bothered her that he hadn't told her of all the ones she'd help him save over the years. So far the list was lengthening and she'd even learned some died. It always bothered her to know that part.

"There is more to this than you're telling me." She just knew it and she insisted "Tell me Mipa." She used the term of endearment she hadn't used since she was wee little. It broke him and she knew it.

She heard him "Heavy sigh! KO." She waited and then he continued. "I found Jillian when she was in foster care, she was seventeen earth years old. Turiz and I learned of her ability and we told her to keep it to herself and to only use it when she needed to. She agreed. I never knew at first that Turiz was involved with her and when I figured it out, I turned my back on him. I didn't know about their daughter till much later. I honestly didn't know about her condition Miputer. If I had of I would have helped sooner. I feel like such a nimnul." She could hear the regret in his voice.

"Oh daddy it's not your fault she's sick, but I wished you'd have told me sooner I had been involved in finding her mother.

"You actually didn't find her mother, you found her friend. We only figured out who Jillian was by accident. She had met her friend a few years before and they both figured out they were unique. Sadly Miele killed her friend when they got separated not long after we had found them. Your mother and I were able to rescue Jillian, but we were too late for her friend."

Miranda wasn't sure what to think about all of this. She never figured out Jillian was an Earkin till she told her, she had thought Jillian was a human who'd gotten involved with an Orkian and to learn another Earkin had passed really stung.

"But I don't get it." She said. "How is it she can keep me from detecting her?"

"I'm assuming it's one of her abilities. She has several. The main one she can manipulate metal. "

"Oh, well that may explain some things. Thanks Daddy." Miranda looked at Chris and then asked Jillian if she wanted to see her daughter. Jillian nodded with a big smile. Miranda needed to connect with this child and find out just what happened to her.

Jeanie smiled knowing that this mom was finally getting back her daughter after she'd been missing for four years.

They walked down the hall and entered the room where Zari laid resting. Jeanie smiled broadly when she saw Reach and happily went to him, she was however surprised to see his guest and so was Jillian.  
Her eyes got wide and she started to cry.

"Oh Turiz I'm so SORRY!"


	5. Answers

**Chapter 5 - Answers**  
 ***********************

Turiz saw Jillian and all the emotions he'd kept bottled up just popped and he cried out to the woman he adored and sadly abandoned because he felt useless to her.

"OH Jill, it's OK. I'm sorry too!" He walked over to her and embraced her tight and Jeanie, Reach, Chris and Miranda were happy to see that this reunion wasn't a heated one.

Reach took Jeanie's hand into his own and leaned in to speak to her softly. "I told him his daughter was found, he was surprised I knew. He insisted in seeing her right away, I hope you don't mind."

Jeanie smiled and gave Reach's hand a reassuring squeeze, "It's OK. I'm just glad you're here." She sighed. For the second time in her life she was falling for an alien. Mork would have a field day with that, Miranda burst out with a chuckle and realized that thoughts were too easily read in a room like this and curbed her enthusiasm for Reach's return. She too still chuckled to herself over it all.

Jillian looked at their daughter, she noticed the funky colored hair and the weird clothing. "I wondered what had happened to her. I never stopped looking. I didn't realize that her genetic condition was getting worse." She put her head down feeling defeated but Turiz wouldn't have her blame herself.

He took her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes, "You need to stop being so hard on yourself. I don't blame you for any of this." He put his finger under her chin and made her look back up when she tried to avoid his eyes. " It's a genetic thing that runs on the human side of our family. It's not something you have control over Jill. Please understand that." He waited to see what she'd say, but he knew she didn't believe him.

"It's not just the genetics and it's my family that this issue comes from Turiz, you have no part of the problem." She grieved over not being able to do more for her daughter and all the lost time this wonderful child would never get back with her father. "It's more; so much more." Her shoulders slouched and she hung her head yet again. She felt selfish for trying to keep her daughter on Earth when she knew very well being on Ork would have helped them all. He could see the hopelessness in his wife's whole body. Turiz was at a loss on what he could do to get through to his wife that he was a much to blame for all of this too; at least he felt he was. he'd given up himself and it wasn't something an industrial engineer did. He did the only thing he knew would help... he told the truth.

"I'm sorry star shine." He murmured. "I gave up trying to convince you. I figured nothing I did would help; so I stopped trying. I should never have done that to you; or Zari." He hugged her tight as she cried in his arms.

"I just missed you so much. She asked about you all the time. I should have told her, maybe then none of this would have happened."  
"Well we're both here now and that's what matters OK." He nudged her away from his chest where she'd hidden herself and peered down. "OK?" She nodded.

He looked at Reach and thanked him for bringing him to Earth to see his daughter. He had to figure out what to do next.

Reach nodded. He knew he couldn't have left him behind, it wouldn't have been right. He held onto Jeanie a tiny bit tighter and told himself to never stop trying when things got rough. He looked over at Miranda and knew she was getting ready for her trip into memory lane.

"Ummm, Turiz, Jillian." Miranda knew it was time but she needed to let these foke know what she was about to do. "With all due respect and all, I understand you're concerned for your daughters well being but I must ask if either of you know who Chelsie or Sophia are."

"Of course," Jillian responded. "Those are Zari's friends, they are twins." Jillian pulled out her cell phone and scrolled through images and pulled one up of all three girls. "They went missing when Zari did. I had assumed they'd all run away together on some stupid prank I'd heard about that kids liked to pull. I never thought they'd be gone for this long."

Miranda looked at the image of the three girls. Zari with her chestnut locks, before her hair ended up the rainbow mess it currently was and the other two girls both had flaming bright red hair. They looked so happy. Miranda hated knowing that these girls obviously went through hell. She passed Jillian back her phone.

"You know what a mind connection is, so I am letting you know now I am going to try and do this to speak with Zari as she doesn't seem to be able to come out of her coma, or is stuck...Either way I plan on helping as best as I can. Do you both understand?"

She watched as they both nodded.

"Good. I need to get ready. I have things here I want you to ask her while I'm doing this. To make her remember, to think, to respond. I know it may sound weird, but do what the papers say OK. I prepared for this and I don't want to lose out on anything that could be there." She passed the papers to both Jillian and Turiz. They looked at the written out papers and even though confused on how a mind connection might work in this instance they were all for trying just about anything to get their girl back.

Miranda looked at Chris as she walked to him. "I will need you, I need to be charged when I get weak. I know it will be a bit before that happens but I still want you to be close OK?" She took his face into her hands and cradled the warmth from his cheeks. She was worried and she could see it in him as well. She kissed him pulled back and said "I'll be OK so long as you're right there beside me."  
He smiled. He sure did love this wonderful spitfire.

****************************

An hour after the initial H-28 transport had brought Jillian to her daughter in the first place; Jillian watched Miranda get comfortable beside Zari. Chris was tucked behind her with his legs outstretched on either side of her. He got her to lean back against him like he had earlier. He circled his arms around her and listened to her instructions.

"Jillian, Turiz, ask the questions when I've been in about ten minutes. I will tell her you're both here. I'm hoping that will be enough to encourage to find a way out." She turned a bit sideways and looked at Chris, don't start boosting me till you know it's needed, you can read me unlike everyone else, don't jump in, just aid OK. I don't want both of us drained." He nodded and kissed the side of her forehead.  
"Don't worry love, you've got this. I know you do." She smiled. She then looked over at Reach.

"If ANYTHING happens where you feel we all need help I want you to ensure we're beamed home as quickly as possible but do NOT separate Zari and I at all OK. It's imperative that this is followed." Reach nodded he was certain that this wouldn't be an issue and he gave Miranda's hand a pat to rest assure her that things would be fine.

"We ready?" Jeanie said as she watched Miranda relax against Chris's chest. Everyone nodded and Miranda did what she knew how to do best. She went on a rescue mission for an Earkin child like she had so many times before.

*********************************

If you've ever gone swimming at night, then you'd know the feeling of floating and lost. Miranda was there now and had no idea on how to get Zari to respond. She floundered around and decided to call out.

"Zari!"

The vociferousness of silence that surrounded her was deafening. The agony in her head from it all made her nauseous and she struggled not to feel so disorientated.

"ZARI!" She called out yet again hoping she'd hear or see something...and then she did. A light. She felt firm ground. She ran towards it.

"Charlie! You can't go in there they will hurt you!" Miranda watched as Zari tried to pull another lady from a basement window of a home.

"Zari I have to, they have my friends and if I don't get them now I might not see them again!" The older woman shrugged off Zari and slipped into the window. Zari paced and looked worried.  
Miranda walked right over to her and spoke.

"Do you need help?"

Zari jumped and looked wide eyed at Miranda. "I'm reliving this, why am I reliving this?" Zari knew she had already dealt with what she was seeing which to Miranda meant she knew something wasn't right. She shook her head. The world she'd been standing in vanished.

"You did." Miranda said reaching out to her. "I'm here to help you so we can figure out what happened. I'm like you Zari and I can help."

Zari looked at her hand and could see blue light pooled in her hand. She looked at Miranda and with wide eyes and took Miranda's hand.

"Tell me what happened." Miranda wanted to know and Zari walked her through the days leading up to her and her friends being kidnapped. As she did so their surroundings took on the spots she'd been, the faces she'd faced and the fear she felt. She showed Miranda again the attack on Donnie and how she'd left a huge hole in the wall of Tony's place, one big enough for her to escape from, but not without injury.

"I think I broke a few ribs. It was hell breathing for about a week. I met Charlie who said she'd help me. She lost friends to Tony as well." Miranda watched as Zari started to sob.

"He pretended to be my dad! All I ever wanted was to meet my dad! Mom wouldn't help! I was tricked and I feel like a fool!" She put her head down and Miranda cradled the young girl as their surroundings became dark again with only the man dressed in gold hatred laughing at them both, Miranda know who he was and she vowed to make him pay for this young girls grief.

"I know your dad Zari. I use to work with him a few years ago. I know your mom too." Miranda watched as Zari raised her head and looked at her in sheer bewilderment.

"Really?"

Miranda nodded and smiled.

"Tony isn't your father, he's a con artist who tricks young girls. A friend of mine said he sells them as slaves. They are taken away and treated poorly."

Zari knew this now. She felt horrible she'd lost her friends to this horrible life. It had taken her two years to save Sophia. She realized she had to tell her Sophia was safe.

"OH! Sophia, she's OK. I got her out. I put her in a safe spot. I told her to stay, that if I didn't come back in a week to go look for my mom! I STILL have to get Chelsie!"

"We will get Chelsie. " Miranda said. "First I need you to listen. Your parents are beside you in the hospital. You're in a coma."

"What?" Zari tried to look around but there wasn't anything. Miranda reached up and took the young girls cheeks into her hands and made her look her in the eyes.

"Listen to me Zari. Your parents are here, beside you in the hospital. All you need to do is listen. OK?"

Zari nodded but she had no idea how listening to the silence around her would help. All it ever did was drive her crazy. Her rambling thoughts almost made her miss the words that floated by on gossamer butterfly wings. It was so soft at first.

"Zaaaarrriii." It was a man's voice. She recognized that voice. She didn't know how but she did. She looked about and tried to find the source.

"Zari, remember the swings? When you were three?" She listened and nodded and all of a sudden around them was the park when she was little, she was swinging. Miranda was standing in front of her as she went through the air. She laughed.

"I LOVED this playground. Mom use to take me to it all the time." Her mom manifested right next to Miranda.

"Do you remember the song Zari?" The distant voice asked her.

Zari slowed her swinging till she came to a stop, the words were there but she couldn't quite remember them all. She heard his voice singing clearly...

"The stars are high and far away on this quiet day. Swing, swing, swing away.  
The Sun shines bright as your smile. Swing, swing, swing away.  
My child you brighten my world, like no other girl. Swing, swing, swing away.  
Your memory I'll hold tight while I soar the skies. Swing, swing, swing away  
I'll think about the twinkle in your eyes. Swing, swing, swing away.  
Never forget I love you with all my might. Swing, swing, swing away!"

His deep voice brought back a ton of memories. Some Zari wasn't even aware she had.  
Turiz appeared, though much older in appearance.

"Hi twinkles." He said to her. Zari looked at Miranda. "But?!" She was baffled. She looked at her father again "Mamma said he was my grand dad, not my father."

Miranda stepped in giving her details she'd already gotten from Jillian before she'd done the connection.

"He's Orkian; an alien Zari. They age backwards. Your mother must have thought it might be better to do that since he wasn't around all the time.

"Oh." Zari looked down at her hands, and realized now why she had her weird ability. She didn't know what to think now. "But why didn't she tell me this before? It explains SO much!" The aggrieved look on her face said it all. Oh how it painted a twisted picture upon her frail young face.

"When I spoke to your mom and dad they said they had their own ideas on what to do, Presenting your father as a grandparent to you and others made it easier to explain, it also kept your lineage safe." Miranda sighed she didn't want to freak out this child but she needed to know the truth.

"My parents are human and alien too. I knew since day one but I lived on Ork. Things weren't so bad there but my parents said life was very hard for my father on Earth along with my brother who ages backwards too. Think of all the problems your family would have faced."

Zari still hated that she had been kept in the dark. "Everything could have been avoided if she'd only had told me! If he'd had of told me!" She sobbed. "and yet AGAIN I've lost my friends because of a man I thought was someone else!"

Miranda felt her biting words and flinched. Zari was right and as much as it hurt, Miranda still had to make her realize there were special reasons for her parents doing what they did.

"Zari." She stalled as she thought about what to say. Zari turned and peered at Miranda.

"What?" Zari was still ticked but Miranda needed to assure this young girl there were more important things to worry about.

"How well does a four year old child keep things to herself? Do you think they can keep secrets? In the long run do you think it's healthy for them do even try?

"I don't think any little kid could keep a secret, those aren't safe it could be anything. Of course it's not healthy. I can imagine a kid could have nightmares. Why?"

"Do you think in today's world, with all the stuff you know, as a child say of four, you'd be normal in any sense other than the fights you got into. Do you think you're mental health would be intact?"

"No I suppose not." Zari realized she had been selfish to expect her parents to put her in a situation that could compromise her childhood. She sighed. "OK, I get it!" She wasn't happy about it but she understood.

"Good. I thought I would have my work cut out there for a moment." Miranda chuckled. She heard what Zari hear and it was her mom talking now, about everything and anything from when Zari was little.

There was a shout of excitement and Miranda realized that Zari responded on the outside with movement and she smiled. In Zari's dream state she took her hand and said. "This state you're in is a mind connection. You're in a different kind of coma compared to a human. You'd been beaten bad. You are healing and I can heal you more. So can my boyfriend who is also like me. You however need to figure out how to disconnect your mind from the past. Let it go and come see your parents. We will all help you get your friend back OK?"

Zari nodded and Miranda started to throw out wave after wave of blue lit energy and Zari could feel herself charging up like and like a light bulb she started to resonate with the blue hue Miranda was giving off. In a few minutes there was a green addition of light and Zari felt like she was flying. She looked at Miranda and thanked her and was gone. Miranda let go of her connection.

*******************************  
Blue eyes fluttered awake and she smiled at the beautiful green ones above her. "I'm OK hun."

She slowly sat up even though Chris was still hugging her for dear life and looked around. Everyone was there, and Zari; well she was awake and smiling. Jeanie passed Reach the sketch book she'd had asked to be available. Miranda looked at Reach. They still had one more major step to pass through. Chris gave her the boost she needed.

"You ready?" Reach nodded and Miranda connected with him. She showed him the images of the people who were involved with the girls going missing. Charlie, Chelsie, and several others. She flashed him images of Tony and Donnie and his crew. She disconnected and opened her eyes. Before her were MANY images. All of them true to life drawings Reach was able to produce with his wonderful ability to create. This talent never ceased to amaze Jeanie and she gathered up all the pictures. She took them over to Zari and asked her to start naming people. Zari was more than happy to help.

Miranda relaxed and tucked herself back into Chris's arms. "You're amazing you know that?" He said to her. "Well with your help it's easy." She chuckled as he gave her a tighter squeeze.

"I think you're amazing too Miputer." Her father chimed in. Miranda was satisfied she'd done her very best. She watched as Zari interacted with the man she now knew was her real father. Jillian hugged her as much as possible, it'd been a long four years. Everything was great in that very moment.

Jillian's cell rang out and she answered it with a smile. It melted off her face pretty quickly.  
She hit speaker on her phone and everyone heard the young girls chilling cry. "Help Jill! Zari said you could help me! She didn't come back and they are going to move Chelsie!" Chris reached over to take her phone.

"Sophie?" He asked and she responded quickly with a "YES! Who are you?"

"I'm Chris, I'm an investigator on your case. Zari is with me." He waited and Zari yelled out'

"I'm OK Sophie! Talk to Chris!"

"Where are you?" He asked her, he could hear cars driving by and tinkling noises and something spraying but he had no clue where she could be. He needed to focus but getting info was faster.

"I was hiding in Tony's attic. I figured out how to get in. I had been holed up there the last two days. They left about twenty minutes ago. I overheard them talking. They are getting ready to move the girls, I left to call. I'm not far from his place at a restaurant in back."

"Stay put. We're coming to get you and we will get your sister too!"

"Hurry please." Sophia's anguished plea broke his heart. He would do all he could to help them.

******************************

"Yes Gary, I KNOW who's involved. I have sketches. GOOD ones. I need you to get the Halifax Detachment involved. The only way we will stop them is if you tell them this is your investigation and you know where these girls are." Chris was frazzled but he intended to do all he could. He looked at Sophia who had fallen asleep in the back seat of Jeanie's car. "They won't listen to an investigator!"

The one sided convo Miranda was listening to seemed to be a bit draining for both of them. Chris nodded and grunted and then disconnected the call.

"We need to get her to Jeanie and once we do we have to contact Mearth and Holly. Maybe they can get things moving faster than we can."

Miranda smiled. She knew Mearth's girlfriend had some oomph and she was happy to get that kind of help. 


	6. Planning

Chapter 6 - Planning

To Gary it looked like nothing was going to move on the case Chris had been working on. It'd been four days already when he learned of the two witnesses to the human trafficking ring that Tony Antos was part of.

He knew of Tony Antos, a Czechoslovakian immigrant who delighted in his dealings with all the younger females he could persuade to join him for "work" as he'd tell them. Problem was, the work wasn't even close to what they'd expect, and by then it'd be too late. He checked the records that Chris had found and realized he'd been questioned on several missing girls who'd been seen with him over the years.

Denial in knowing any of the missing teens was always part of his responses even though the police were sure he had some part in the girls going missing; there wasn't anything they could do without proof. Gary checked and realized several girls had gone missing both in Toronto, and in Halifax. There were a few from Alberta as well as B.C. He scanned the images and decided it was best to print them off. They might come in handy.

Elest; the governor of Ork; had lifted Miranda's limitations about 3 months into her stay on Earth due to communication complications and her requirements to 'recharge'. So now days she could return to Ork and she could come and go as she pleased. The wonderful part was this also included Chris and Mearth and it was all for one exceptionally good reason. Information and an inventive young cadet named Reach. Jeanie's Orkian boyfriend was a literal genius when it came to new technology.

Ork was a very advanced planet but even they didn't have some of the things humans had created over the years and it was because of Reach and his wonderful abilities to create new things that Chris felt fine traveling back and forth to Ork, and also because of what he held in his hand as he paced a hospital room on Ork while he spoke to Miranda about Zari.

That new little device was Chris's safety net. The new Micoms that Reach had invented were out of this world and he loved having his. They had been dubbed Mini communication devices, but Miranda's dad was rambling in her head saying they reminded him of minicomputers, and he use to call Miranda, miputer; Micom was the next thing he muttered and the name stuck.

It made traveling back and forth to Ork a bit easier on the mind knowing she was only a call away, and Reach managed to integrate the Micoms signal to be detected by the the H-28 transporters Reach had set up months prior. The signals could be brought closer to Earth and then use Earth's own satellites if needed to make contact with whoever had a Micom on Earth. These were like cells with better safety features cell phones didn't have. They could also help a user who wasn't close to an H-28 beam to still be easily found and transported where ever they needed to be by Orkian's either on their ship or on their home planet. It was quite the wonderful and powerful tool.

"She's healing just fine." Chris said to Miranda. "See." He turned his Micom and showed her Zari happily smiling away and chattering a mile a minute to her parents. She looked a thousand times better compared to four days ago. "If it wasn't for you love, she may not be where she's at now."  
He heard her chuckle before he saw the smile on her face once he turned his Micom around.

"You had a hand in it too you know." She sighed. She was able to quickly "recharge" as they called it while on Earth, where as Chris had to go back to Ork to quickly recharge his energy levels. Together they were quite the formidable team and twice as strong. She could replenish his energy while he was on Ork when he needed a boost. She still healed though much slower. When she was home on Earth he did the same for her… and he too could recharge but slower. Their abilities together were amazing and if it hadn't been for Jeanie they might never again have met the way they had. It felt like only yesterday and yet forever at the same time, because Chris could now remember the day he left Ork. He smiled at his Alaika.

"I know love, but remember, you saved her from her own head. I just held the rope while you fished her out." He smiled as she snorted at his lame fishing comment.

"Well; please page me when you're coming back. Bring Zari. We're going to need her if your friend Gary ever manages to get things moving. I'm still waiting on Mearth to get the ball rolling on his end. I should hear from him soon. I love you, be safe and I'll talk to you soon."  
He watched as she blew him a kiss and he smiled, blew one back and told her he loved her too.  
He shut his Micom and smiled. Things maybe going slow but they were also looking up. Zari smiled at Chris as he joined them. "We need to head back to Earth soon." He announced to the trio, "Here's why."

********************************

"You got the President involved?" Miranda's eyebrows shot up in surprise, as she held the paperwork she'd been hoping would get worked on so they could proceed with the case. She watched Mearth break out in a face splitting grin. She was a bit shocked that he'd gone as far as he had, but apparently with Holly's help, and the proof they had; the President agreed that the particular case Chris was working on took precedence over everything else and in order to get the proper authorities to get a move on the President took it upon himself to make a few phone calls and he got the ball rolling in Canada. Mearth and Holly's odd tactical stunt effectively made the Prime Minister take notice; who in turn lit some fires under some other city hotshots and only a few days later the results Miranda had been hoping for were in the works. All she needed now was Zari and Chris to get back home.

"I can't believe that you two managed to pull this off, I'm very impressed!" Miranda was thrilled.

"I didn't think it was going to work at first." Mearth said, "But Holly insisted we speak to someone who had some umph and who better than the man she works for?"

"Well it was a great idea you two, thanks! Now all we need is Chris and Zari and a plan to catch this soulless crimlock." Miranda had no use for Tony Antos or his crew. Sophie walked back into the living room from the kitchen with food in her hands. Sitting on the couch she thought; she'd never eaten so good in the last four years than she had since she found Zari and all her new found friends. She had overheard the conversation and piped up.

"I sure hope things get moving soon, Tony said they would be moving out forty five girls by the end of the month and that's only six days away. I don't need to lose my sister again; it took me almost 7 months to find her the first time they took off with her." She was visibly upset thinking about it all and put her food down on the coffee table now that her guts were rolling.

Mearth kneeled down to her level as she pushed her plate aside. He pushed it back to her and encouraged her to take a bit. She was very frail and he could see it and had already spoken to Holly about getting her and her sister when she was found much needed medical help as well as counselling. "When Tony moved your sister the last time, where did he take her and how in the world did you get her back?"

"He moved her to British Columbia first. I got her back because I saw her on the streets one day. She was pretty strung out of it. I felt bad because I didn't stop what had happened to her. I sort of stole her from Tony before he even knew what was going on." She signed and remembered all she'd done to help and how defeated she felt when she failed.

"Sis didn't know anything else after all he'd put her through. He really messed with her head. The drugs didn't help either. I had her from him for almost two months. I tried to get home but I couldn't get the money. The police were of no help and neither were social workers even though we were clearly listed in the missing person's files in Toronto. It's like the detachments from one area to the next were blind and deaf, no one communicated with each other. I felt so lost."

She sat back holding her drink, her food forgotten. She looked at Mearth. "I came back to the place we were holed up in, an abandoned warehouse just outside of the main part of Vancouver. Sis was gone. Next thing I know I'm trying to track her down again only to learn that Zari had found us and had been trying to get us home too. Only she was too late. Sis was gone and I wasn't sure where she was going. It took Zari and me over 4 more months to find out he'd taken her to Halifax." She looked at the ice floating in her cup... the cracks along the frozen cube reminded her of how shattered she'd felt when her sister up and left on her and went back to the man who'd destroyed her soul. She thought to herself. ' _He WILL pay_.' One way or another.

Mearth understood the girl's need to save her sister. He was always protective of his own.  
He looked over at her and watched her mull over the papers he'd given her. She was learning whom he'd gotten involved since they wanted Tony as much as the Canadian police forces did.  
The FBI was working with this case now and they were in motion to take down one of the largest human trafficking bosses they'd known in fifteen years.

FBI special agents generally do not have authority to make arrests in Canada except in certain cases like this one where they had the consent to do their due diligence. Congress has granted the FBI extraterritorial jurisdiction and the Prime Minister was backing it. He was also pushing for several investigations into why Zari's case was handled so poorly. Mearth knew more about politics than he ever thought possible; and one thing he was certain of was that a few people would be losing their jobs over this.


	7. Trapped

Chapter – 7 Trapped

Mearth and Holly sat in Gary's office with Chris and looked over the paper work that Chris had brought to him.

"I still can't figure out how the hell you managed to get this one Chris but damn man! Good job." Gary's bewilderment was overshadowed though by the list of the young girls that were tied to Tony in some shape or form. There was also one huge kink in the whole thing. There was an undercover cop who was a part of the whole thing and Gary had no idea how the hell she had gotten involved and from what detachment she was from because everything was on the down low.

"How in the hell did you find out she was an undercover cop?" Gary asked Chris

"Sophia told me. Apparently the young woman who had broken into Tony's home and freed her had told her she was an undercover cop and was trying to save two others she knew who was in there as well. She said the officer introduced herself as Charlie."

Gary ran his hand through his hair and muttered under his breath… "Shit…" He sighed and looked over at the tall man that had come with Chris and his tiny partner Holly. "So what resources can you get me if we go through with bringing this asshole down?"

"Well." Mearth thought he'd make sure this officer didn't know the whole extent of what he, his sister and the rest were capable of ability wise but using that would help with what he had planned. "We can confuse the hell out of him for one. Make him mess up and in the process save those girls. Here's what you need to know first though in order for this to work. Sit… you're not going to like it."

Mearth leaned forward in his seat and then slowly stood. Chris knew what was going to happen so he just watched as Mearth walked to the bullpen bulletin board. He started to put up images of all the girls. Fifty two girls in total from all over Canada and the US. He placed Tony's image in the middle. Mearth added blue lines to the girls where there was a direct connection and red lines to all the girls whom Sophia had confirmed were in his grasp.

"Sophia has been a great help." Mearth said. "She successfully identified several of the girl's Tony has."

"How?" Gary asked.

Holly embellished the next bit of info because she knew the sensitivity of the whole situation and Mearth being aware of her thoughts just watched her as she stood and joined him and pointed to all the girls with the red and blue lines. "Sophia was hypnotized and she was able to identify all of these girls. It's amazing what one can recall when this happens. She was able to provide us with more info in the last few days; than we've managed to get combined from all the detachments involved in tracking all of these girls down." She turned and looked at Gary and walked towards him. "Your detachment however is the only one who had an officer who didn't do his job properly and follow up on the reports, and you want to know why?" Holly always love this part.

"What are you getting at?" Gary asked as he watched Chris stand "Well it looks like the officer who was involved with the original case was actually working for Tony." Holly watched the sheer shock run across his face. She then heard Mearth in her head.

"He had no idea. He's freaking out too." Holly backed off as Gary sputtered in disbelief.

"NO that's NOT possible!" He just couldn't imagine Walker screwing him over like that.

"I'm sorry Gary. It's true. Sophia identified him as well. He was feeding Tony info on when we were on his tail and he also was aware of when to move the girls this is why he's moving them tomorrow evening. Someone in your department is feeding him details and we need to find out who the hell it is."

Gary paced. He was pissed he couldn't believe there was someone in his crew working for Tony. He had been trying to catch that scumbag for years. "Who the hell is it? Do you know?"

Mearth perked up and nodded. "He's been identified but we can't let on we know; we are however going to stage a meeting to tell your staff we are aware Tony is in the city and he's moving the girls and to where. We will give in detail how we plan on catching him. Thing is, none of it will be what we are planning on doing. This plan is our decoy and this officer will be part of it. We're hoping he goes back and tells Tony. Everyone will be given a special cell and they all have traces on them so if anyone messages Tony we will have viable proof." Mearth took Gary to the side and gave him the info he needed and Gary was rightly pissed since he had trusted the officer in question for years.

"Don't be too rash now man, if we blow this we could lose those girls again Gary so think about it." Chris was concerned on how his friend would react. He knew the officer in question for nearly seven years. Chris looked up and spotted them through the office window and kept to the ideals that he had no clue and waved. Gary noticed and turned to look.

"Wave and smile damn it" Chris said as he turned back to the paper work. Gary did so and then huffed as he turned back to the others. OK so how are we really going to catch this asshole?

"So now that you're all aware, Tony Antos is currently in our city yet again. This time we will catch him as we have things set up to ensure his capture, the paper work in front of you will outline in detail our plans. He has fifty two girls he's trying to smuggle out of the country. We know he's moving them all tonight. Everyone has been given a new cell to help keep in better contact with each other. This operation has to be kept off Tony's radar so these cells can't be traced or hacked into. We want to get this son of a bitch. I've been trying for five years let's not lose him tonight."

Mearth and Holly along with Chris watched as Garry set his officers into motion knowing full well one of them will fall off the plan and try and ruin it for everyone.

"Peter's I want you and Mahan at the docks. Do not let anyone in or out and make sure the Coast Guard is on alert. "Gary pointed out two others and told them to do patrol. Beckman whined about it but his partner Widden was happy to do what was asked.

"Easy night man, stop your complaining." David Widden slapped his partner on the back and smiled at his dejected buddy.

"Aww man I wanted to see the action!" Simon Beckman wasn't too thrilled about possibly missing out.

Gary looked at him, "You could end up finding Tony on the road. So don't count the excitement out just yet man. There's always back up as well."

Gary went to the next team John Westin and Cleo Lindelle. "You two I want you to keep an eye on his property out at Beare Rd. If anything even MOVES I want a report."

He moved down the line again. The one officer he didn't get along with was paired with his own daughter something that was done by the Chief long before Gary took over duties. Even though he had his reasons for his disdain he didn't let it interfere with his job.

"Sharp, Dobson… I want you both sitting at Tony's warehouse on Bulwer St. Don't take your eyes off of the place. If anyone comes or goes I want you to call it in.

"No problem sir." His daughter said as they both stood to head out to their destination as the others had. She stopped and laid her hand on her dad's arm. Lindsay was determined to see her dad's goal to see Tony taken down come to fruition.

"Don't worry daddy, we'll get him." She said softly, she had a sad smile but turned to leave anyway.

"Stay safe." He said to her as she walked away.

"The rest of you will be on back up duty. Be on alert and don't let down your guard there's too many girls lives at stake for this to be blundered." He watched the room clear.

Mearth sat back and smiled. He spoke to Holly telepathically. "Our birdy has already called the target. That didn't take long." She smiled too. "Come on hun, let's go watch your sister and Zari mess these goons up." She learned to love this crazy alien and his sister and she couldn't be happier to be right where she was at that moment.


	8. Discovery

Chapter 8 – Discovery

Zari never felt better than she did right at that moment. It'd been four years since she didn't hurt or ached from past breaks or trauma she'd endured from her own abilities. She'd spent three full days on Ork. The travel experience alone was absolutely terrifying but amazing. She learned so much in the short time she was there and learned she'd have to go back in order to mend if she got hurt too badly.

Miranda also taught her how to somewhat control her abilities along with a few others while they were on Ork. The training had been very fierce and concentrated but she realized that they really had no choice on the matter. Zari was determined to save her friend Chelsie. She learned that she also didn't need as much sleep on Ork and most slept upside down which was hard to get use to at first but for her; it worked! Turin was pleased to see her progress. He watched intently as her abilities blossomed. He was quite proud of her and realized he'd missed out on a lot as she grew. He wouldn't miss out on anymore, he made that promise to himself to be there for her after this was all over.

They returned to Earth and Jeanie had checked Zari over and gave her a clean bill of health.

"You're a very lucky young lady" Jeanie said as she shut off the light to the board that helped her to read Zari's x-rays. "When you first came here your bones were showing you as much older than you actually are. Your time on Ork mending thankfully has reversed those effects. I think anymore damage without that regeneration would have been more severe than the beating you'd received."

Zari nodded as her mom rubbed her back. She realized her mom had also benefited from the visit to Ork as well, she could feel the energy coming from her. "So when will dad be back?" she asked concerned she'd not see him again. He hadn't returned with her when they had come back.

"Don't worry Zari." Jeanine took her hands and looked her into the eyes. "We will be ensuring everything will be set up so you and your parents can spend a lot of time together. Right now we're trying to save your friends. He's helping set up the trap that will get them all back."

Jeanie was concerned as Reach was also involved with this ploy to draw out Tony and his crew but also the mole within the Eglinton Police Force in Toronto. She didn't like it much but she knew he'd have to be there since there were so many young girls' lives at risk right then.

Miranda popped into the room and spoke to Jeanine.

"Chris contacted me. He said the mole already contacted Tony. I need Zari; we have to get going." She looked at Zari and gave her the thumbs up like Chris had taught her. "You ready?"  
Zari smiled and nodded.

"You bet your sweet ass I am!"

"Zari, be safe." Jillian was worried but she had her part she had to do as well. They hugged and Miranda and Zari watched as she left. Miranda turned back to Jeanie.

"Chris said they have the crew all over in Toronto watching all the spots Tony has; well ones that they are aware of. I need to get close to him and find out if there are other spots. Chris really doesn't like the idea but I can use the aging machine to make myself look younger. I'll fit right in if I pretend to be creeping around and let myself get caught. I can save more from the inside that I can from out here. Zari will be able to keep tabs on me; so can Reach and Chris."

Miranda knew the sting was risky but it was the only idea they had at the moment and Tony was more than likely to take her if he found her creeping around on his property.

"I really hate this idea Miranda. This isn't like one of Chris's video games you know. There isn't a do over if someone gets hurt so PLEASE be safe." Jeanie gave her a huge and tried to calm the mayhem her guts were feeling.

"I got this." Miranda said winking at Jeanine She laid her hand on Jeanine who calmed pretty quickly. Jeanie had forgotten she could read her mind and sooth her like that. She smiled.

"Thanks I needed that."

Jeanie watched as they left and prayed they'd all be safe.

*******************************************

Tony closed his cell as he looked around his office. He was now aware that the Eglinton Police was on his tail. He needed to ensure no one found the girls they were looking for but according to his mole they were waiting for him to move them.

"Damn it!" he muttered as he hit his desk. Donnie who was still injured but mobile walked into the room. His arm would still need time to heal and Tony knew it. He still didn't get how that tiny kid with the rainbow hair managed to overpower Donnie and blow a damn hole into the side of his house. It still pissed him off to no end. He fiddled with the letter opener he had in his hand, adding more dents to the top of his desk as he poked it over and over again.

"We've got trouble. Gary is trying to corral us again." He said to Donnie. "We need to move but I was informed they know we had plans to. I need to get Dominick here with the truck and move the girls through the tunnels. It's the only way to get past that vexatious asshole and if he gets in our way I know of a way to quickly dispatch of him." He snapped the letter opener in half as he snarled. "Get the rest of the crew we need to move now!"

Miranda had been beamed to his property via the H-28. Her Micom tucked into the tongue of her sneaker so it wouldn't be found so easily. The aging machine had been shrunk small and put on a chain and was around her neck thanks to Reach. It still took it's time for it to work on her and Mearth couldn't be near her when she wore it since it was programmed to work on her family's genetic makeup. She heard her father's voice in her head.

"Miputer, please be careful. This man's intentions are vile and I sense great danger." He sounded much older than she remembered him then realized the aging machine would affect him even though he wasn't physically with her.

"I will be daddy. Don't worry too much; we actually have a good plan to get this monster." She knew they did and was determined to help Chris catch him. She crouched by the bushes by Tony's home. The Eglinton police officers on duty had no idea what Chris and her crew had planned other than Gary himself and even he only had sparse details. She got closer to the back door and spotted the trash cans. This would do for what she had in mind. She looked in the glass of the window and saw she had finally aged down and looked to be about fourteen.  
"Perfect" She whispered and then sprung into action.

The crash of the trash bins outside made Lincoln, Sorren and Mason scramble to secure the area and find out who was on the property. They quickly spread out and closed in on the lone figure they spotted peeking into the back window.

"A mere child? You mean to tell me THIS child had made it past all the security that was around the property?" This enraged Tony when he was made aware that this. "SCOUT AROUND!" He yelled as he shoved her into a chair. "Don't let the damn pigs see we're moving about!" He knew if there was a commotion on the property it would get their attention and he didn't need that right now.

"So!" He turned and looked at the child who'd fractured his calm. "Why are you here?" He leaned forward and slapped the arms of the chair getting right into her face. She cowered and he sneered at her.

"I…I…uhh…My friend…sh..she.." Miranda played up the fear factor she needed him to toss her in with the others.

"SPILL IT CHILD!" He yelled in her face and she let loose the tears like any typical child would.  
"Oh good lord!" He stood and fumed. He walked to his desk and punched a button on a box.

"Lenore! Get in here!" He walked away from the contraption and glared at the child. The woman he had called entered and the look of shock on her face when she saw the young girl was enough for Miranda who checked her thoughts. Surprising enough this woman wasn't who she pretended to be either from what Miranda could see.

"Where the hell did she come from?" Lenore asked as she got her composure. Miranda could see now it was for show. "I thought you had all the girls you needed for your shipment."

Tony growled. "We do! This stunned little bitch wandered onto my property; I believe in search of her friend. We'll just have a bonus for our buyers." He looked at Lenore who nodded in agreement and walked over to her and grabbed her chin. Miranda realized she needed to follow the act this woman was praying in her head she'd follow on. She flinches and cried out making Lenore smile.

"Little girl; you just couldn't keep your nose out of things could you? What is your name and who are you looking for?" She growled in her face.

Miranda though fast and told her. "I…I'm.. Lee. I wa… was looking f…f…for… Sophia and Chelsie. They are my b…big... sisters." Something she knew could be searched and confirmed but no viable images were on line of the twins little sister.

Lenore was glad this child was looking for someone they didn't have in their group and to ensure that Tony felt she was still on their side she made the child believe that Sophia was dead. She laughed hard.

"HA! Ha ha ha! You FOOLISH child! Sophia is long gone! We tend to dispose of those who cause us trouble. It did however get your other sister to comply and you shall now join her." She crouched low and in Miranda's face. "Enjoy the time you have with her while you can. You won't get to see her for long." Lenore grabbed her arm and dragged Miranda to her feet.

"Have the others checked to see if there's been a breech?" She asked Tony as she dragged Miranda along with them to the tunnels that connected them to the large entombed sepulcher which was part of the community's local church and graveyard. Many had no idea how to access it since it was all connected underground.

"No nothing so far. We have to get these girls out of here now. The ship leaves the harbour tomorrow evening. If we can make it to Halifax before that damn cop tracks us down these goods won't be traced once they leave our borders. I'm just waiting on Dominick with the truck. Once it gets here we will move them."

Tony opened the gate and stood aside as Miranda was dragged by Lenore towards a row of cages. She was shocked by the sight. There were a dozen cages with about four or five girls in each one.

They all looked in poor shape; some were more so than the others. She was shoved into the last one along the row. She stumbled and slid across the stone floor that was covered in sawdust. There were four girls in here but one wasn't moving. She was lying down in a corner and Miranda saw the long red hair and immediately crawled to it. She reached over and shook her and called Chelsie's name. The child groaned but didn't open her eyes. One of the other girls looked at the new comer and spoke. 

"She's sick. She hasn't moved in days and that monster won't do anything." The other two sat and stared quietly. "We all just want to go home."

Miranda felt so bad for these girls and realized things were much worse than she'd anticipated.  
One of the two girls; who had been sitting quietly, and who looked to be in better shape than most of them approached her. She asked,. "What's your name?" Miranda told her Lee, her response was "I'm Charlie. Just lay low and do as you're told and they won't hurt you as bad." It was then that Miranda realized who she was.

' _Are you full enough_?' She heard him ask. Chris came in loud and clear. She knew he was referring to healing Chelsie and she was strong enough. She only prayed they could get out so he could help recharge her when she needed it. Her dad interrupted _'Mi, Tony's gone.'_

She answered back via her connection. _'I'm good here to help her heal. I need to get all of them out. Some are in pretty bad shape.'_

'We're working on it.' Chris said. 'Oh Miranda please be safe!' her mom was coming through now and she realized everyone was getting scared. She only confirmed she'd be OK and then got ready to finish off the plan they had in motion.

*************************************

Zari knew what was going on from all the info Chris had been giving them. She and her mom got as close as they could to the church where they had been made aware there was an opening from the burial tombs on the property. They needed to get situated and wait. It didn't take long before the truck showed but for some strange reason there was an officer tailing him and Zari wasn't aware that any of the local officers were aware of what was going on. She picked her Micom out of her pocket and called into Chris.

"We got an officer following that truck. What the hell is going on?" She and her mom watched as the truck pulled into the church. The patrol car stopped behind it. Zari's eyes got huge when she saw the officer.

"What the hell are they doing here?" She hissed as her mom leaned forward and growled. Neither was impressed at what played out before them. She watched as they disappeared into the tomb.

"Chris we have a problem here."


	9. The chase is on

Chapter 9– The chase is on

Miranda relaxed and allowed the blue healing light radiate from her and into the young girl that lay on the floor of the cell. Charlie watched her as she did her thing unaware of what was going on, she was just drawn to this new girl who was tossed in with them. Chelsie moved and fluttered her eyes. Her breath was less laboured. Miranda stroked her hair and continued to provide the healing she needed. Her progress was cut short when she heard loud voices coming her way.

"We got the truck we need to move them now. Come on!" Lincoln yelled as he banged on the girls cages. "Get up! NOW!" Some of the girls cried out in fear and pushed back to the deeper recesses of the cages they were confined in.

Sorren grabbed one girl from the cage next to the one Miranda was in and shoved his face into hers and licked up her chin. She cringed in disgust and shivered at the contact. "Any of you give us trouble I will personally see to entertaining myself at your expense." He shoved the girl he had away from him to make her walk. She stumbled but gathered her bearings and remained upright. She was dishevelled and in quite the state. She walked along and Miranda recognized the girl when she looked into her cage right at Miranda. Zari was right this was indeed one of the many missing young women Tony had been questioned about in the past.

Mason, a large pale man with more tattoos than Miranda could count loomed at the door. He opened the cage she and the other girls were in. He pointed to the one who called herself Charlie and told her to stand. She did so and looked over at Miranda. The other girls followed suit and moved as if hypnotized. Chelsie still wasn't in any shape to walk.

Mason glared at the girl he was told was called Lee. "Get up." He said to her. "But my friend needs help. She's sick." Miranda wasn't going to make it easy for him.

"I don't care." He reached down and grabbed Miranda and hauled her to her feet and then grabbed a wobbly Chelsie who cried out in agony and dragged her to her feet too. "Let me go!" Miranda struggled against the hammed arm that confined her.

"Girl, Shut up! Sorren will have a field day with your tiny ass, and trust me he likes little girls like you so I suggest you walk!" He gave her a shake and she walked but the anger in her rolled. She wasn't too thrilled at having to play the helpless part.

"Miputer, don't even think about it." Her father interjected knowing full well she was damn determined to get everyone out of the situation they were facing. "The officer who has been helping them is outside."

Miranda gasped. She wasn't aware the mole was there. She wondered if she'd recognize her at all, even if she looked younger. _'Oh God Daddy I have to do something. I don't need her possibly recognizing me! I need a distraction!'_

 _'Wait till you're outside sweetie. Zari and her mom are close by they will help if they can.'_ Her father encouraged her to be strong. _'Remember, if there's a will there's a way, and if we get our way they will be reading their wills. Come on bubbalu you can do this.'_

They got closer to the exit and it surprised Miranda that it was through a church crypt. No one would have even been aware of this place let alone that it was connected. It was off of any normal beaten path within the city and without much traffic in the area no one was likely to stumble across them anytime soon. She saw the officer in question who helped direct the girls to the large transfer truck. The only thing she could do was to make a scene in regards to that cop. She tried to lunge at her, she didn't get far before she was stopped by Mason.

"HOW DARE YOU!" She screamed at the officer who was surprised that any of the girls would even talk to her considering they all knew she'd beat them. "Let them go!" Cleo started to walk to her with her hand raised to back hand Miranda but stopped mid stride and looked hard at the girl. She raised her hand and yelled to Tony pointing in Miranda's general direction.

"Who's the girl?"

"Some stupid chick trying to rescue that Chelsie girl. She's a bonus for my boys once we get them to Tokyo."

"You mean to tell me she got onto your property without being seen? Bring her here." Cleo wasn't too sure but this one rang a bell with her. She knew her from somewhere. She was going to get some answers.

Sorren stepped from the line and grabbed the other arm of the one who lunged at Cleo and helped Mason drag her over. "Bitch you just met your match." Miranda just smirked at him and growled.

"Ha! That's what you think." She muttered under her breath as she tried to shake him loose but he didn't lose his grip. Sorren was set back a bit when he realized this girl was back talking him. She was a brazen little thing. He gave her a good hard shake as he tried to drag her along with Mason's help.

"You're going to have to do better than that." She said through clenched teeth. Even Mason's grip didn't bother her. The anger in her roiled and that was all she needed to trigger some of the abilities she possessed. She stopped dead in her tracks and Sorren and Mason both couldn't move her.

"What the hell!" Sorren yanked harder. She was like steel and didn't budge.

Cleo walked forward "What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know! We can get her to move." Mason yanked again and Miranda still didn't move.

The distraction was enough to get Zari and her mother into position. Jillian used her abilities to manipulate metal and all the sudden the large truck started to leave without them. The girls were scared. They had no idea what was going on and started to cry and pushed back to the edge of the cemetery. Lincoln, Mason and Sorren stopped dead in their tracks and looked about totally baffled at what is going on.

"Hey stop that truck!" Cleo wasn't allowing it to leave without her shipment. Tony was pissed at everything and walked over to her and smacked Miranda instead hoping to get her to comply. She cried out from the pain and went down in a heap.

"Not so strong now are ya!" He sneered. The guys ran off to catch the truck and Tony hovered over Miranda for a moment then crouched to her level. He reached out and cupped her face.

"I have a good mind to end your little friend you were so concerned about; in fact I think I'll let Sorren play with her. Maybe then you'll listen." He looked in her eyes and saw a flicker there. He wasn't sure what but he backed up.

****************************  
Chris had made it to the back of the crypts entrance. He was within throwing distance of Miranda and he didn't like what he was seeing. He connected with her energy and buzzed. He knew he was putting himself at risk being this close right now because he could easily be discovered. Zari and Jillian were trying to keep them confined within the area till the swat team that was in on this sting made it to the area. He just needed to distract these thugs for a little longer.

He watched as many of the girls were loaded onto the now stopped truck. The driver was still looking a bit confused on why it had started moving on its own.

Cleo had walked over to him and Chris heard her say. "Get control of your cargo Tony. I don't need this trouble. I can only keep my squad off my back for so long. I already had to dispatch with two of them and they will be noticed as missing soon enough. Come on let's get this show on the road." Chris thought who the hell did she dispatch? He connected to Turiz and told him to get Gary to check the crew he had a funny feeling something was off.

 _'What do I tell him?'_ was the thought he got back. 'Tell him that it's been made apparent that two force members may be MIA and that I suggested he check in on everyone.' He hoped this helped. He continued to watch Cleo and Tony who nodded and stood and Sorren grabbed Chelsie and hauled her back to her feet.

"NO!" Miranda yelled. She didn't want to see Sophia's sister harmed anymore than what she'd already endured. Cleo had enough of the bullshit and took aim at Miranda and fired.

"NO!" Chris yelled as he lunged for Miranda. 


	10. Unlocked

Chapter 10 - Unlocked  
*************************

Everything slowed in that instant. She could feel a sense of heightened awareness, from the tiniest prickles of hair at the nape of her neck to the smells all around her. Gunpowder, sweat, diesel, soil, and something else she didn't quite recognize.

She had heard her father's screams but they had cut off as abruptly as they had started. She wasn't too concerned though because she could still feel his presence within her mind and he was currently awe struck. For the first time in ages he was speechless.

Before her turquoise colored light swirled a bright marbled hue mixed with green and blue. A vortex at the center caused the colors to blend. She found the colors calming. She turned her head and could see Chris with his hands outstretched and fingers splayed. Energy poured forth from his hand. She knew she could feel him close by earlier and realized he had unlocked another ability of his and was throwing her energy. She'd also unlocked something but wasn't quite aware what it was, just that it was protecting her, with Chris's obvious help.

She looked back at the fray in front of her and all eyes were wide and showed several emotional components. Fear, astonishment, and surprise, from the girls they were trying to rescue right to the people who were the cause of it all. She looked back to the middle of the swirled vortex and smiled as the bullet spun; suspended before her. She clapped and it fell, the colors of swirled light followed it's decent to the ground.

She walked forward, the light flowed with her little whorls filtered from behind her as she progressed forward. She watched Cleo empty her clip in her direction, the projectiles sped towards her and then slowed and hovered; dancing in their combined light and mixing them. She clapped once again, the bullets dancing stopped and streaks of void followed through the light to the ground where they fell. She could feel Chris right at her side now. He joined her and she got even stronger. She made it to Cleo was rooted in her spot in not just fear but because of the power that engulfed the area. Miranda reached out and took her gun from her hands and like her father before her crushed it in her bare hands. Miranda glared at the woman.

********************************

The prisoners wasted no time getting away from their captors and scattered from the trucks confines as soon as they could. Many took towards the main road while others aimed for the woods. Jillian and Zari remained hidden and made quick work of the truck. Moving it together they made it crash between two large trees and trapped the driver. They looked back to see one of Tony's crew trying to get away. They got ready to deal with him but then witnessed Chris realizing his own abilities and watched as he took down the ones who'd caused so much grief for the young girls who had been captive. Chris reached out and flicked his hand at Mason who fell over in a heap like he'd been beaten with a bat. He repeated it with Lincoln who tried to flee. His body lay prone in a matter of seconds. Zari grinned at her mom as she watched the ones who'd hurt her friends get the stonkers knocked out of him.

When Miranda looked at Chris again she noticed he was getting younger in appearance. She realized the aging machine was working on him too and like she and her brother it took time to take effect. She reached for the pendant and switched it off. She didn't need to pretend anymore.

*****************************************

Tony couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the girl still standing after Cleo had tried to shoot her. He spotted a man running towards her and then light. Lots of bright light. At first he thought someone had put a spotlight on them all but then he realized that wasn't the case. He saw the bullets and not one hit the girl. He'd never been religious as a child like his parents but at that moment he thought he was facing a deity and it scared him. It got odder still when he realized there wasn't one but two of them. He watched the man who had shouted join the girl and then ever so slowly he revert to a young man.

Tony believed his eyes had to be playing tricks on him. Baffled he watched as she crushed the gun like play dough and the young fella stopped his crew. Like Cleo who was at his side, he was firmly grounded to his spot and struggled to run but couldn't, as she got closer she aged and it freaked them both out. Cleo knew then and there this couple weren't investigators like Gary had claimed. Tony crouched as she growled at him.

"Not so tough now are you?"

Tony thinking he actually met his maker blessed himself.

"That's won't help where you're going." Chris raised his hand and Tony passed out, meanwhile Miranda looked at Cleo whose eyes were wide as saucers.

"What the hell are you?" She muttered in fear and astonishment. 

Miranda heard her father again pipe up imitating Eddie Murphy… "I'm your worst fucking nightmare." so she repeated it. She grabbed Cleo by the front of her uniform, lifted her from the ground and walked with her as the swat team all pulled into the area guns blazing and lights flashing. Cleo was a good foot and a half off the ground being carried like she was a mere doll and dumped her in front of Gary Sharps feet. Chris released her hand and the light subsided.  
They had accomplished what they had set out to do. 

"I think you need to take this trash in." She tossed Cleo down on the ground. Gary was stunned to say the least. He had only gotten word that two of his constables were MIA and found out it was his daughter and her partner. Cleo had cornered them and tasered them both and locked them in the back of their own squad car after she'd gotten Tony's goons to put a pounding on them. He had been at the hospital checking in on his daughter who had told him who it was when he got news that there was chaos at the church and he sent the swat team there since they'd been set up at the waterfront expecting Tony's crew to show at that location instead. The apparent plan had fallen through but at least they still managed to get their intended target.

"How in the world did you find these guys?" Gary looked around at the scene in utter confusion but grateful the girls they'd been looking for were safe. Officers had scattered rounding up everyone. The goons that worked for Tony were being cuffed and Tony was rambling that Miranda was some sort of angel because she was glowing. She giggled at his claims.

"Zari had a hunch because she remembered this area when they had moved girls before when she was tracking everyone. She gave us a hint and we checked it out. It looked like it paid off." Miranda hated to lie when it came to things like this but she needed to ensure she was keeping herself under the radar even if others say things. Most would think it's ramblings of people who are stressed or just plain nuts.

"Damn fine job, but next time leave it to the experts." He looked at Chris "She's a tough cookie isn't she?"

Chris looked at Miranda and smiled. "You could say that." They walked away from the chaos and Gary called out to them. "I'll need statements!" Chris waved and responded. "I'll meet you there!"  
They headed away from the scene and let Gary do his job.

***************************************

When Chris got back to the Eglinton Police Dept the ladies who'd been captive wanted to see Miranda. They all thanked her and several asked her if she was an angel and she told them no.  
None could understand how the bullets didn't hit her and Miranda smiled. Her response to many of the girl's questions was "My dad would have said it was divine intervention. If you're going to believe in miracles; then that moment would be a start." Chris just smiled and continued to the interrogation office with the officer who was going to take their statement.

Zari and Jillian had made themselves scarce during the whole ordeal so they wouldn't be needed for statements, not that Chris would insist but he was glad they hadn't been spotted, it made this whole thing so much easier. He took Miranda's hand and walked her down to a back room where they could have some quiet.

"How are we going to tell this?" Miranda said to him telepathically.

He responded in the same manner. "We're going to tell them what we already said. That Zari gave us a lead. We checked it out. We happened upon Cleo and her crew and we effectively stopped them by sabotaging the truck and distracting them. As for the shots fired at you and missing, you will remain insistent on not knowing why she missed." He smiled at her and winked. Miranda understood. When the officer took her into the back room leaving Chris in the hall they remained connected and conferred to keep the stories on track. There'd be enough problems with Tony and Cleo freaking out and making outlandish claims. Chris only prayed that the courts didn't see them as insane.

**********************************

Several hours later when all was said and done Chris and Miranda left to join the others. Holly and Mearth were excited to see they came back safe and sound. Jeanie checked them both over and told Chris that for some reason there was elevated proteins in his blood. She didn't know why, but figured it could be because of his new ability, which they learned was he could throw energy to someone when he needed to.

"Ahh something new to practice." Miranda said as she opened her hand and let her own energies pool in it. Chris however was able to form a full ball with his. He found that fascinating and threw it in the air and caught it again.

"I think I like this." He said smiling. Miranda grinned right back. She leaned towards him and planted a kiss on him and when she connected to his lips the energy in her hand shot up and spread out around them both; enveloping them like an egg. He ran his free hand along her back and snaked it around her waist. When they separated the could see the colors swirling around them like waves. Jeanie and the others were staring and Mearth raised his hand and tried to poke at them but couldn't.

Miranda chuckled. Obviously she learned how to put up a barrier but had no idea on how she was doing it. She looked at Chris and laughed. "I wonder what else this will stop." They watched as all of their friends tried to push on the egg shaped lighted energy field. None of them could get past it.  
She wiped her hands against each other like she was dusting them off and felt a shiver run through her as the energy field dissipated.

"I honestly never seen anything like it!" Jeanie was still mystified.

"This is what stopped the bullets." Chris said, Miranda nodded and added.

"I think our combined energies is what really did it along with our new found abilities. I'm rather enjoying learning about them as we unlock new ones."

Mearth and Holly found his sisters shield ability fascinating. "I wonder what new ones you'll get." Holly said.

"Only time will tell." Mearth smiled at his sister who never ceased to amaze him. "Holly has some news for you. He wandered to the kitchen table and pulled out a chair for Holly so she could sit.

Miranda rooted through the cupboards for some coffee even though she knew it would be bitter with Chris around she was learning to get use to the odd taste now.

"What news is that?" She asked Mearth as Holly opened the file and started taking out papers.

"Well for one." Holly replied. "All fifty two girls are counted for. Every single one."

"That's amazing news!" Chris was thrilled, smiling he sat with them and watched Miranda's reaction which reflected his own.

She stood there with a coffee cup in her hand… "I sense more because you're giddy Holly. Spill."

"Hey no fair! Stay outta my head girl!" Holly giggled at her friend. It was hard to have surprises for someone who could read your thoughts.

Miranda chuckled and turned off the kettle when it started bubbling. She poured the water into her cup and stirred the coffee. "So what else is there?"

"Your rescue and capture also found the rest of the ring. Tony sung like a bird. Cleo has been part of it for about seven years. Two years before she became a cop! We've got federal agents on their way to Tokyo to rescue more girls that have been taken from all over the place."

"Oh my!" Miranda was floored with the news. She stopped and looked at Jeanie. "Why do people feel the need to sell people for horrible acts they see as pleasure?"

"I don't know Miranda. Not everyone is like this but some people are just vile creatures and feel they can gain monetary value from a person in several ways. Human trafficking is a huge issue in the world these days and I'm just glad you helped break one of the bigger rings. There's going to be some very happy parents and survivors in the upcoming days. Your dad would be proud.

'I am' He said and Miranda smiled again. She took a sip of her coffee and winced at the taste.  
She was a glutton for punishment but she did enjoy the warm drink. When it wasn't so bitter. She added more sugar and walked over to Chris.

"I'm glad it's all over with. I think we deserve a break…" She winked and he saw the lake they had spent time at during Naruu and Orwell's wedding running through her thoughts.

"I couldn't agree more." Chris said chuckling.


	11. A prophecy that ties

Chapter 11 – A prophecy that ties.

The water recharged her. He recharged her. She floated along and enjoyed the feeling of her birth place. Life on Earth was complex and complicated not to mention scary but here. There was peace.  
Orwell and Naruu were with them and enjoying the waning light. Her hair seeming more on fire as the suns set. Orwell rubbed her arms as she relaxed against him.

"So when are you going to tie with Chris?" Naruu asked Miranda.

"I don't know." She chuckled "He kinda hasn't asked me."

"Well I think it's high time he did." She glared at him and he laughed.

"You can't really rush these things you know." He smirked at Naruu who was still over joyed from her own wedding.

"Says who?" She piped up. She raised her eyebrow waiting for Chris to give her an answer. "Orwell asked me to marry him and we tied in three months. You guys have been together almost a year now."

Miranda smiled. "We've been together much longer than a year, hey Alaika." Chris gave her a loving smile and reached for her hand. Naruu was surprised with that statement and continued to listen to Chris's praise of his girlfriend as the swam together in slow circles in the water.

"She's my Meine Vatar and has been since before I was born. She has loved me since the day she met my mother." He smiled; brushed her cheek as she blushed. "We were tied then, by our souls." He gave her hand; that come up to meet his; a light squeeze.

Orwell looked at Chris. "Then why not make it official on Ork at least. If you want to save a ceremony for Earth; that can be done too. I think our Omnear should be tied just for the sake of civility and new traditions. Your parents brought back emotions to this world for the sake of saving our race. The least we can do in the new world they started is to continue on with you and your loveling and show everyone that peace and love are accepted here. You are after all like an Earth King and Queen. It's only civil." Orwell was making a valid point. Chris looked at his girl and smiled, love shinning through.

"So; what do you think? Would you want to marry me?" his half assed cocky grin made her laugh.

"Hmmm, let me think about that. I'm not too sure wouldn't marriage be a hell of an adventure? I mean we'd have no clue what we'd be getting into and we'd HAVE to haul our friends along too, right?" She winked and he beamed with pride. God he sure loved this amazing lady.

"You are something else." He said pulling her forward and kissing her "I'd like an answer though." He was serious now and she could see it. It gave her tingles and automatically that sent her to humming. The energy whipped around her like crazy.

"I see the excitement just from this." Chris said as he swept his hand through the light and they continued to float. He brought his hand forward in front of her face and pooled a ball of his own energy. "I think tying is a perfect thing to do. Mom would love it; I think your parents would be thrilled as well."  
She could actually hear both of them yelling to her to say yes and she giggled. Goodness she loved them all. He raised that ball and touched the energy flowing around them and it instantly went turquoise. She smiled and nodded, leaned in and kissed him senseless. When they separated the light around them wasn't turquoise anymore. It was blushed a light purple. Orwell noticed immediately.

"Oh my! Now that is new." He stood and Naruu joined him. They were both perplexed.

"Chris, what's going on?" He asked.

Chris looked at him and the dazzling light fell… He was confused for a moment. "What do you mean what's going on? I asked her and she said yes. They were both grinning like goofy kids.

"I asked because before when you two were charging up we'd see light, just bright light. You told us you guys have colors but we can't see them…"

"That is till now! Holy Stonkers!" Naruu blurted out.

"What?" Both of them said in unison. "Really? What color was the light?" Miranda was curious.

"Purple! Glittery purple!"

They both looked at each other and laughed out loud at their friends. They both felt absolutely amazing in that moment and Miranda figured the light had something to do with it. They exited the water and grabbed their towels.

"Well if we're going to do this we need to make some calls and arrangements. I am NOT excluding my friends." Orwell was tickled over them agreeing with the ceremony almost as much as they were tickled over knowing they were going to go through with it. Naruu squished them both in a hug with just as much excitement as Orwell. All of them headed back to the council offices. There was much planning to do.

************************************

Joor looked over the itinerary for the festivities. He nodded and agreed they were suitable.

"You know you will have to stay at least a week seeing as this is quite the occasion. Your tying will bring forth the second part of our prophet's visions."

Miranda looked at Chris confused. "Huh?" they both said in unison.

"Oh indeed." I don't have the journals but I do recall there was a prophecy of the Omnear and their union." Joor seemed tickled about remembering that bit of news.

"I am old so forgive me if I can't remember the actual prophet's ramblings. I do however know they are written down."

"They are. I have the journal." Miranda said making Joor's eyes widen.

"You don't say?" He was amused and would love to see them. He was always fascinated by things like that. "Would you permit me to view them? I rather find those prophecies very fascinating."

Miranda was a bit leery about letting the ancient journal out of her grasp. Miele tried to prevent one from happening just by trying to eradicate her future husband.

"Beg my pardon Elder but I must graciously decline at this moment, but will be more than happy to allow a council viewing after my nuptials. I do have to be very careful with that journal." She smiled at Joor. She knew he had no ill will but she also had to ensure that if there was anyone intended on destruction of that tomb she needed a copy. She mentally notified her father to remind her of the journal when they returned to Earth.

"Well go with a guiding hand my child! Let the preparations begin!" Joor smiled at the two. He was pleased to see the Omnear together and happy. He had to go talk to the other elders and make the city ready.

******************************

"OH MY GOD! When? Where?!" Jeanie was over joyed to hear the fantastic news when Miranda had returned two days later. They sat in Jeanie's kitchen over coffee. The one time this month Miranda could enjoy it because it wasn't so bitter and mainly because Chris wasn't anywhere near her. She smirked as she answered Jeanie's questions.

"Well the council said we kinda have to do the tying ceremony on Ork because of some prophecy, which goes with the first one. I guess it's like a good luck thing. I'm not sure but we're happy to do it there. We were after all both born there so it only seems right. We'll do another one here when we have time to plan it." Miranda was excited to tell her friends and her parents were talking a mile a minute at times as well in her head. _'So many voices and so much to do'._ She thought.

"I hope you called Mearth." Jeanie realized he wouldn't know yet unless she had already told him.

"Not yet, you're the first I've told. I want everyone with me. I need to get a hold of Lola as well. I want you, Lola and Naruu to stand by my side. I think Chris is going to ask a few of his friends on Ork and Mearth."

Jeanie clapped her hands together and giggled with glee. "Oh I can't wait this is so exciting!"

"You know I don't even have to make my dress. Apparently the council is having it made for me. I had to go to this chamber and get hundreds of images taken of me at once in a 'blank suit' as Reach called it. So they could design it for me. Apparently your boyfriend created this new thing to help make better flight suits for cadets and it makes a life size model for them to work with on the computers they got from Earth." She watched Jeanie smile.

"I'm aware. I helped him with the 3-D platform from a program one of my friends showed me when he asked if I knew of anything that would assist them in working on better clothing for cadets. He basterized some program called 3D light wave and has it programmed to do 3D images from photos taken from every angle. It worked too, so you can count on whatever they make you to be stunning." That was one thing Jeanie was certain would be done to perfection.

They both sat and chatted a bit and Miranda was reminded by her father about the journal.

 _'Don't forget Miputer. You have to get that journal copied; we don't want those words escaping you.'_  
He giggled and so did Miranda.

"Cute daddy." She said out loud and Jeanie looked at her quizzically. "Oh daddy being 'Puny' again.

"Oh I remember when he used to do that. He's got a way with words." Jeanie said.

 _'Just be glad I don't get into the theatrics of puns!'_ He chuckled in her head. _'I could call it_ _A play on words_ _!'_ Miranda groaned and rolled her eyes and then repeated what he said to Jeanie who joined in on the gawd awful 'dad joke'.

 _'Hey! Hey! I left you all speechless!'_ and he cackled again Miranda gave her head a shake _'EARTHQUAKE!'_ He yelled then added. _'Hey! Only a bed should be shaking and save that till after the wedding!'_

"Oh good God Daddy! I'm tuning you out for a minute." She said and did just that. "I love him but my goodness some days he can be so silly."

"That's your father for you." Jeanie chuckled. Miranda thought about the journal and figured she should go get it but Chris's mother crossed her mind as she was the one who had given it to her. He was at her home now filling her in on the news. She was sure she'd be ecstatic about it all.

"You know this will be his mothers first time returning to Ork in years. I hope the trip is easy on her. She's been in a chair for years." Miranda was concerned.

"I'm sure the trip there will be fine. Orkian technology is getting more and more advanced now that there's some of the human tech added to it. I'm sure the elders will ensure she's comfortable." Jeanie patted Miranda's hand.

"Hold on a minute. I have to go get the journal she gave me. I want to read this prophecy. I really need to copy it so it's safe. I can bring a copy to the council so they can look at it." She got up and went to her room and fished it out of her lock box. Ever so carefully she unwrapped the books bindings as she wandered back to the kitchen. She set it on the table and Jeanie watched her thumb through the  
journal.

"I still find it odd that no one on Ork believed the oracle when he made all of these predictions. All of them came true; you think they'd have heeded them at least after the second one came true." It did baffle Miranda. She found the second prophecy and started to read.

'True clarity, peace, love and light will be brought forth on Orks aligned moon night.' "Well that happens on Friday." She said to Jeanie. "It's called the solstice here, but on Ork it's the festival of flowers. All the hybrid moon flowers daddy created glow. Daddy always said it was because he loved mamma so much that this happened." She smiled as she heard him again.

 _'The best thing in the world I ever did was find your mom. She taught me more than I could ever imagine.'_ His words were wistful. She could actually picture them holding each other's hand. She continued with the prediction.

When flowers glow and senses high should our Omnear join and tie. This shall bring unity for all.  
"Ok so from the looks of things, the best time for us to marry is during the festival of flowers. I wonder why."

 _'It's the same day emotions were restored on Ork Miputer. The first emotion visibly shown was love; your mother and I were the ones who did that. We kissed and everything just sparkled. It was mind boggling and amazing.'_ He was reminiscing. _'This is why the festival of flowers exists. I told the council I created those flowers because of your mother, to show her how much love I had for her.'_ _  
_  
Miranda felt a lump in her throat. She didn't know whether to cry about the beauty of it all or to smile. She was so blessed to have parents like she did. She continued to read.

Transcendent energies will bring forth Ehronewtonn as Orks Meine Vatar becomes one.

"I wonder what this Ehronewtonn is." She pointed to the word and Jeanie shook her head when she looked not quite understanding it either.

 _'It means bliss, blissfulness or euphoria. A sense of love. I never understood why it happened just that when we kissed; it did. Everyone was as emotionally involved as we were. It was like a blissful pandemic that spread through everyone.'_ He father remembered that day like it was yesterday. The tingling he got the blight colors. The love he felt right to his toes for Mindy.

"Ok Daddy says it means bliss or euphoria. I find this a tad odd, but I suppose if a non emotional planet has emotions restored they'd feel pretty intense for everyone who was new to it." Jeanie agreed as it made perfect sense. Even humans who had never fallen in love before found the emotion strange and confusing for the first time. Jeanie read the last lines out loud.  
Omnear will bring forth the divinity of the true born, mighty in wisdom, courage and devotion. Here they shall reign across the cosmos and show us the way. This is our future. Love, light and peace.  
Go with a guiding hand and share with all.

"I wonder what that means." She said as she looked at Miranda.

"I've no idea. Sounds like our marriage will bring something to the planet that will give them guidance, but it also sounds sort or regal as well. I'd have to ask Joor or one of the council members. They might understand it better than I do." She smiled and then pondered her next move as she did promise the council to view it after her wedding.

"I need to copy all of this but I'm a bit worry about the integrity of the journal. I don't want to damage anything. I also don't want anyone to get the original." Jeanie looked at the book and asked her.

"Is the book stitched?" Miranda shrugged. She had no idea what that meant.

Jeanie motioned to her to see the book and Miranda passed it to her. Jeanie looked over the books seam. Sure enough it was stitched.

"Look here. See the thread, this is your binding. It was stitched together. If you took those threads out you could open the book fully and copy everything as needed. When you're done; the book can be stitched back together and the spine glued back into place. It's a tedious process but I know someone who could help you." Miranda was curious on who could do something so delicate.

"Come on. We'll go for a drive and I'll introduce you to Shawn. He's a printer and a wiz at things like this." Miranda had no idea who this Shawn person was but believed Jeanie when she said he could do what she needed done.

********************************

Shawn did not disappoint. A few hours after meeting with Miranda and Jeanie he had the book apart and had scanned and printed every page for her and was in the process of reassembling it.

"I'm impressed with your work sir." Miranda said as she looked over the pages. Some of the prophecies made very little sense to her; others had already come and gone like the one about her parents.

One free of heart will bring emotional  
enlightenment to our world where none exist.  
Love will be his true first calling. Do not flee  
but embrace all that they bring. To shun it  
will be the world's undoing.

She knew the second one really well since it was about her and Chris and she always found it fascinating that someone deemed an oracle had rightfully predicted something so complex yet so distant.

Two will run to win over the race.  
Remove the emotional wall and see their face.  
Two faces melded as colors are spun.  
Two hearts are stronger, together as one.  
Their birth will see the undoing; undone.

The first will be the second of her mother,  
the second will be the first for the other.  
Protect and be safe, this is conceded;  
fate of the races in them is needed.

Remember blue and green glowing faces.  
It is in them that will bring forth the races.  
Joining of colors will bring forth clarity  
Transference; one from the other is the rarity.

Soul to soul & heart to heart.  
Together stronger than when apart.  
Their connection is the spark to bring  
forth a healing light, and in Ork their  
love will make the wrong; right.

This was the main prophecy that Miele had been trying to prevent for years with the attempted death of his own son. The main reason why she refused to allow the book out of her possession now was because of the attempts on his life. He'd wanted to maintain control and leave emotions out of Orks collective. It would have seen the fall of the whole planet since their DNA had been waning.

"I've been doing printing and binding for almost forty years. I've never quite seen such wonderful complexities in a bound scripture. The artistry is amazing on the cover. Are you aware of what was used for the skin?"

Miranda shook her head no, she wasn't sure what Orkian's would use to cover or bind books.

"I was hoping you would. It was very well done." Shawn had never seen anything quite like it as the main cover had raised markings but it wasn't embossed. The cover had everything done under the skin and it was stretched over it and smoothed down. Similar to a tomb rubbing, only the negative and positive were still together.

"The only thing I am certain is that the book was written a very long time ago. I find it fascinating to learn about the language in it. Some words I haven't heard before." Miranda thumbed one of the copies of a future prediction about a child but she didn't quite understand all the words. She was hoping the elders would.

Shawn smiled and finished with the binding of the first sections of pages. He moved onto the second and told Jeanie that they could always go for coffee and come back in about a half hour. The book would likely be done by then. She nodded and hauled a very reluctant Miranda out of the shop.  
"He won't let anything happen to it. Relax. Let's go find something for your wedding. I think I will need a new dress." Miranda nodded and agreed. Shopping was in order. 


	12. Soul mates

Chapter 12. - Soul Mates

They returned to the shop over an hour later and Shawn passed Jeanie all the materials from the copied version of the book he'd worked on. He was absolutely fascinated with the workmanship.

"I included a digital copy of all the scans I took so you would have them to check out in finer detail later if you wanted. It's been a pleasure working on this particular book." He smiled and Jeanie paid him for her services.

"You did an amazing job as always Shawn. You take care and we'll call you when we need you again." He nodded and waved as they left the store.

Jeanie had gotten a very lovely dress and was excited to wear it on Friday. Miranda was nervous and excited at the same time. She took Jeanie's cell and called Mearth and told him the news. She laughed when she heard him whoop in delight. She told him it was Friday and he was stunned to hear it was going to be so fast.

"Why?"

"It's the festival of flowers. The same time mom and dad got emotions reinstated to Ork. They want it all tied together because it's symbolic I think. Not to mention it sort of flows with what the oracle said."

"Makes sense." Mearth said. "Wait till I tell Holly she's going to be ecstatic!

"Well pack for the trip. Apparently Chris and I have to be there a minimum of a week because of festivities. I'm not sure if you want to stay that long but it seems to be the going time frame right now."  
She was thrilled when he agreed.

"A week sounds amazing. I think Holly could use the break anyway."

He rang off with her and both Jeanie and her headed back to Henry St and their home. There was much to do.

She hadn't seen Chris in two days. Apparently from what Xu had learned, it was an ancient tradition to separate two souls and see them unite again on their tying night, and this time they were going to go by ancient history as Chris and Miranda were considered the new regal consorts of Ork.

"How in Ork did we end up as royalty?" She was baffled as she adjusted the front of her dress making her bust fit in it properly. It fit like a second skin at the bust but flowed like water down around her hips and across the floor. It was colored like water as well with the lace looking like cascading waves. It sparkled in the sun and it was the most beautiful dress Miranda could ever imagine. Reach outdid himself with the design. Xu hovered around her and helped when she was needed. They waited on the crew who would do her hair. Xu casually spoke of the journal and its contents.

"You and Chris fulfilled the 2nd part of the prophecy. Your child will fulfill the third." Xu straightened the lace collar of the wedding gowns sheer ruffled over coat. She checked the ruffles at the wrists She didn't want Miranda having difficulties being able to hold onto her flowers for all the material.

"What?" Miranda stopped dead. "Our child?"

"Oh indeed!" Xu had looked over the oracle's writings from the prints Miranda had provided them. She wasn't council but she was someone Miranda trusted.

"Your child will rule here. That child will be wiser than you or I will ever fathom. They will have a divine connection to everything around them. According to the oracle your child will be what keeps our world turning into one similar to the one your mother grew on. Free of violence and hate. Something Orkians and the elders worried about for many a bleems. It was actually one of the reasons why emotions were banned."

"So ancient Orkians were scared to have a world with violence or hate so to prevent it they removed all emotions?" Miranda was baffled. How could a world survive without love or compassion?

"Yes. Pretty much. The sad part was that without emotions no one got attached to anyone. We survived to do and this was it. We didn't survive to be. No one was part of anyone's life. A death went unnoticed. No one asked anyone if they were OK if there was an injury. You were repaired and sent on your way. New children born in our labs never cried. Those who did…" She paused, now with an emotional connection she cried at the thought. "Those children were destroyed."

Miranda cried out and put her hand over her mouth to hide her horror. "Oh how awful!"

"I am for one mortified at our past. It almost ended our world. I thank your parents daily for gracing us with our emotional state. The elders felt your dad was an abomination until they sent him on his mission on Earth. It taught us a lot. Here there is very little hate towards one another. Distain for things like Necratons is a civil dislike and we accept that. Anyone who is deviant like Miele was, well that kind of hate isn't accepted and one is banished." Miranda couldn't agree more with that view point. Who wanted to live in a world where violence was used to solve a problem? It was then she realized.  
Chris did and had and he turned out pretty good.

"I agree to an extent. Although I do not condone violence, violence is still used even in mild forms to punish those who use it to push their agendas. I think one will do well if they are making a choice to end the abuses others dish out. I believe it's a choice, not a state of being." She heard her father agree.

'Anger is an emotion, it's not who a person is. Love is an emotion, it's what you give. It's not who you are but it can make you so much more. When used right, one can grow with love. It's infinite and boundless. Share it because there's always more where it came from.'  
Miranda loved that and told her dad as much.

'I believe it Miputer. Loving you, your brother and mother was the best thing in the world.' She smiled. She wished her dad was here to give her away.

'I'm there in spirit bubbalu and so is your mom.' She could feel the love from him alone radiate through her. It was the next best thing to a hug.

Xu let in the ladies who were doing her hair and smiled as they got to work. "You look stunning. Chris is going to be in awe." Jeanie walked into the room and gasped.

"OH Miranda you look gorgeous!" she gushed and Miranda giggled. "Chris is a nervous wreck. He's biting at the bit so to speak because he misses you so much. I still can't believe Mearth managed to get him here before you."

"Did he find his attendants?" Miranda had no idea who was standing with him during the ceremony.

"Yes, Orwell, Mearth and Reach. They are all with him now trying to keep him from barging in here and sweeping you away." Jeanie chuckled. He was very much annoyed with his attendants but council wanted to go with former traditions and everyone was hell bent on getting him to go with it.

"And viola!" The ladies doing her hair and make-up backed away and Miranda got to see what they had done. She was astonished. They had curled her hair and swept part back adding tiny flowers that sparkled. Her makeup saw her eyes done in very pale greens and blues with silver glitter sprinkled throughout her hair and along her neck and bust line. Her lips were done just a shade darker than the already where. She stood and her dress swished she felt like a princess. Jeanie finished off her ensemble with her train which was a silver crown with small green and blue gems in it; the train itself was very light sheer fabric and colored to match. She knew it was made from Tedatter worms. They made amazing material for clothing. It shimmered under her hand.

"Well let's get going." She wanted to see Chris and the need to be with him seemed to make her a bit more anxious.

"Ok let's see if council is ready." Jeanie left and went to check on matters before returning to Miranda.

"Joor said wait till you hear the music and you can start walking up the hall to the front of the Elders stand. Chris is there waiting for you." Jeanie held her hand and gave a little gleeful squeal. "I'm so excited for you!" She kissed her cheek and left to be up front with the other ladies. Miranda was left to her own thoughts.

'I got lucky like you and mom papa. I found a soul that echoes my own. Our love for each other, it lights the path and we blend perfectly creating something beautiful. I think I truly know how you felt about mom. Thanks for being the reason why Orkians can love again. I can't imagine any world without Chris in it.' She heard the music and started out the door.

'You do me proud Miputer. I love you.'

The great elder's hall was stunning. There were live potted moon roses everywhere and all of them glowed very brightly. Chris was at the other end of the aisle and she wanted to run to him but kept to the beat of the music that was playing painfully slow.

She made it to the podium and Chris reached for her and slid his arm around her waist and looked down at her. His eyes glowed. When she looked around she noticed their light was everywhere and it wasn't the typical blue or green or even turquoise. It was glittery purple. She muttered "Oh!" in surprise and Chris chuckled.

"I noticed that as soon as you started walking down the aisle." He whispered to her.

"I wonder why it's happening." She was curious but the excitement of the tying ceremony was almost too much to bear. Joor walked to the front and announced them to the civilians who had shown for the wedding.

"Before you stands our salvation. They are our Omnear, soul keepers and deliverance of light.  
They alone hold the key to our prophecies and with them today they fulfill another.  
Today; during the alignment of our moons and the festival of flowers they shall tie their lives to  
one another as it has been written many bleems ago."

"Christopher Nathaniel Green and Miranda Beth McConnell." He turned them to face the crowd. "Please bask in their light and forever feel the love they share." Joor's voice carried far in the great hall of the elders. He was showing obvious signs of delight to be the one performing this tying ceremony. They turned back to Face Joor. He picked up a long silver and red scarf and they held out their hands, joined by lacing their fingers and Joor tied it around their wrists.

"I bind you to your love. My you find comfort in knowing you have each other. In all that is great I say go with a guiding hand and share all you have for one another." Joor pulled out the rings that council provided to all couples. Theirs was special made. Both were each other's color with a moon rose etched into the stone which glowed like the roses did. Joor placed the green one on Miranda's ring finger.

"Do you tie yourself to the mate you've chosen in this life?"

"I do." She smiled at him and a wave of super bright purple light pulsed like a hear beat from her.

Joor took the blue ring and placed it on Chris's finger and asked him the same question.

"Do you tie yourself to the mate you've chosen in this life?"

"I do." He too had a pulse of light radiate from him as well. The crowd hummed with excitement.

"Then you Omnear of Ork have council's blessing of this tying. Go with a guiding hand forever more as one soul. You may now kiss your bride."

Chris pulled her close Miranda needed no encouragement, two days apart was enough. She joined lips with his and the whole world of Ork seemed to stand still as they relished in each other's company.  
They were totally unaware that as they kissed their love for one another basked the whole Orkian world with joy. The love they radiated poured like waves from them and everyone cheered.

When they broke apart the shimmering light fragmented like billions of pieces of glitter. The roses changed color from white to turquoise. Miranda and Chris gasped; it was mind boggling to see. She heard her father Aww in amazement as well.

She took Chris's hand and they walked from the great hall to their awaiting transportation to the reception. It would be a wonderful evening for everyone.

The reception was amazing and everyone danced and ate till they could hardly move. As per custom on Ork another couple got engaged to tie together, this time it was Reach who asked Jeanie to marry her and she agreed. Miranda was thrilled to learn of it and had no idea that Reach had even intended of asking her.

Miranda got to see Patricia who was standing of all things. Turned out that all she needed was a visit to Ork and the implants that had been used on her during her original surgery would have recharged.  
Miranda spent as much time as she could with her and Chris while at the reception. Mearth and Holly joined them and spoke of their own plans for their wedding and blessed Reach and Jeanie who were beaming still.

Chris and Miranda had their first dance together and latterly lit up the dance floor. Others joined and they all watched the light swirl around them like living waves. It was mesmerizing.

Miranda and Chris left before their guests and arrived at the new home the council provided them on Ork. It was massive and beautiful as well. One Orkian introduced himself as Peler, and explained that he along with the others were their 'Casts' and stated they were there to assist them with whatever they required. Chris thanked him for this info and asked where their room was. Both wanted to get cleaned up and out of their evening ware.

Peler directed a young cast to take them to their quarters. She was of mid age in Orkian standards and stated her name was Karin and she'd be happy to turn down their bed for them. Miranda was actually surprised to see it wasn't a double trapeze bar but an actual earth bed.

"Oh spectacular!" She said "Thank you so much." Miranda touched the lady's hands and the woman beamed.

"You bless me with your kindness Omnear. Thank you so much." She exited the room giddy.

Miranda smiled she'd never seen someone so happy to have had contact before. She looked at her husband and reached for him. He came to her willingly. She smiled a sleepy smile and danced slowly in their room together. He could feel the warmth and energy radiate from her. He kissed her till both their heads swam.

She removed the over coat to her gown and let it fall to the floor. At that moment she didn't care about anything but him. As if hypnotized she continued to dance slowly with him as he kissed her slowly. First on the lips then down her neck and he shoulder. The rest of her dress vanished and she stood before him in all her glory as did he. Neither knew how their clothing vanished so easily but they didn't care about that only about each other. She sighed as did he.

Chris picked her up ever so easily and walked with her in his arms to their bed. He laid her down and continued to drop kisses all over her. She squirmed and reached for him, her thoughts not quite her own and yet not anyone else's either. Her heart beat loudly in her head and she could feel warmth spread all over her body. She felt him taste her breast and gasped at the wonderful sensation. This was her first time ever experiencing any real form of love making and it made her feel like she was flying.

If love could be described in color, to Chris it would be a glittery rainbow smashing together and scattering in the wind to touch everyone. He didn't want the want to stop. He didn't want the warmth to go away. He wanted her and her alone. They joined that night with chaotic need but basked in the afterglow. All around them was pure white light. Miranda was content and lay in her husband's arms.

Nothing on Ork or on Earth could compare to having a soul mate. He kissed her forehead as she drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow would be a new adventure because married life was an adventure all on its own.


End file.
